Clarkia amoena
Farewell-to-Spring
ONAGRACEAE, The Evening Primrose family
It’s a nice surprise: the clover field next to my garden plot has suddenly burst into color. The field is so alluring with all those bright flowers, but I refrain from running through it and rolling about, for it is the province of little doggies. The half-full crowd calls this plant Summer’s Darling or Herald-of-Summer, but however you look at it, Clarkia is a surprisingly showy native plant. Each delicate 1 1/2 inch long petal has a dark pink spot it the center. It’s named for Captain William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
