Beautiful Clarkia Plant Care

Beautiful Clarkia (Clarkia pulchella) belongs to the Onagraceae family within the Clarkia genus. Beautiful Clarkia is also known as Pink Ribbons.

Beautiful Clarkia displays an upright, branching growth habit, reaching up to 1.5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 0.5 ft. Beautiful Clarkia produces colorful cup-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, or purple.

Leaf size: approximately 2 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Beautiful Clarkia every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Beautiful Clarkia thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Clarkia pulchella tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Beautiful Clarkia prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.

Well-draining, sandy soil with good organic content. Good drainage is essential for Beautiful Clarkia to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Beautiful Clarkia every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, sandy soil with good organic content. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Beautiful Clarkia is suited to USDA Zone 12a.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Beautiful Clarkia can spread to about 1 ft (0.2 m) and reach about 2 ft (0 m) tall. Space plants about 1 ft (0.2 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Beautiful Clarkia while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Beautiful Clarkia is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 12). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Beautiful Clarkia can be propagated through seeds.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Beautiful Clarkia is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, whiteflies. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Beautiful Clarkia grows outdoors in USDA Zone 12a. It survives winters down to planting zone 12a. In cooler regions, grow Beautiful Clarkia as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.