Clarkia amoena

Clarkia amoena, commonly known as farewell to spring, godetia, or satin flower, is a species of flowering plant native to western North America. It is found in coastal hills and mountains from British Columbia south to the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

Clarkia amoena
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Onagraceae
Genus:	Clarkia
Species:	C. amoena
Binomial name
Clarkia amoena (Lehm.) A.Nels. & J.F.Macbr

This annual herb produces showy pink to lavender flowers and is known for its late spring to early summer blooming period. The species was formerly classified in the genus Godetia, and is still sometimes referred to by the synonym Godetia amoena.

Description

It is an annual plant growing to 1 m tall, with slender, linear leaves 2–7 cm long and 2–6 mm broad. The flowers are pink to pale purple, with four broad petals 1.5–6 cm long. The fruit is a dry capsule, which splits open when mature to release the numerous seeds.

Taxonomy

Five subspecies are currently recognised, although intermediate forms are commonly found:^[1]

• Clarkia amoena subsp. amoena (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbr. – (farewell to spring)^[2]
• Clarkia amoena subsp. caurina (Abrams) C.L. Hitchc. – (northwestern farewell to spring)^[3]
• Clarkia amoena subsp. huntiana (Jeps.) F.H. Lewis & M.E. Lewis – (Hunt's clarkia)^[4]
• Clarkia amoena subsp. lindleyi (Dougl.) C.L. Hitchc. – (Lindley's clarkia)^[5]
• Clarkia amoena subsp. whitneyi (A. Gray) H. Lewis & M. Lewis. – (Whitney's farewell to spring)^[6]

Cultivation

Cut stem bunches of 'Grace Salmon' and 'Grace Rose Pink' grown in a winter and spring greenhouse.

Farewell to spring is commonly cultivated as a garden plant, and cultivated varieties are known.

It a cool season plant and will tolerate temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) in gardens or greenhouses. It flowers faster under long day conditions.^[7] The plants grow best with minimal fertilizer. Popular cultivars introduced in the 1980s include cut flower (tall; 'Grace') and potted plant (short; 'Satin') types.

A gallery of cultivars is presented below.

• 
  'Cattleya'
• 
  'Duke of York'
• 
  'Furora'
• 
  'Grace Lavender with Eye'
• 
  'Grace Lavender'
• 
  'Grace Red'
• 
  'Grace Rose Pink'
• 
  'Grace Salmon'
• 
  'Kelviden Glory'
• 
  'Kyohuhai'
• 
  'Maidenblush'
• 
  'Miss Nagasaki'
• 
  'Sweetheart'
• 
  'White Bouquet'
• 
  Clarkia amoena at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, California