Clarkia purpurea aka Winecup Clarkia

Clarkia purpurea is known as winecup clarkia. It is an annual in Onagraceae, the evening primrose family. Kew gives its native range as western Canada to northwestern Mexico. Plants For A Future lists Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona. In Mexico, its range includes northern Baja California. These records place the plant in western North America. Kew links it with a temperate climate. The RHS lists it as non-native to Britain and Ireland.

Winecup clarkia grows to about 2 feet [0.6 metres] tall. As an annual, it lives its whole life within one year. Plants For A Future notes both male and female organs in its flowers. This tells us their form, but not how pollen reaches them. The supplied species records give no more facts about the flowers. They do not describe leaf shape, stems, or fruit. They give no mature width or time of bloom. The RHS describes flowers and leaves for the genus, not this species.

Plants For A Future places it on dry, open plains in the wild. Yet it lists moist soil as best for garden growth. This difference matters when you choose a garden site. A dry home in the wild does not prove low water needs. The plant can grow in full sun or part shade. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. Its stated pH range goes from mildly acid to neutral to mildly alkaline. The evidence gives no tested frost limit or hardiness zone.

Plants For A Future lists garden beds as a place to grow it. It also lists seed as the way to grow new plants. The entry gives no dates to sow or steps to sprout seed. It does not describe pests or diseases. Its weed review records no weed potential. That review gives no details on spread from region to region. The sources do not link this species to a given group of pollinators.

The seeds have a recorded food use in pinole. Plants For A Future gives it one point out of five for edibility. It reports no known hazards. This does not mean it has had a full safety review. The evidence does not show that it is safe for pets. Plants For A Future records no uses as medicine or other uses. Its entry gives both of those groups a zero rating.