godetia amoena (onagraceae)

The godetia godetia belongs to a group of plants known as Clarkia, a native of western south and north America. It grows especially well in California, and produces beautiful clusters of funnel shaped flowers on strong stems. The pale pink color shown in this picture, known as Satin, is especially pretty, but it also comes in a range of pinks, lavender and crimson shades. These plants grow during the cooler times of year and bloom in spring and early summer. I bought my plants a couple of weeks ago and they really add a mass of color to the border area of the garden. They do need watering regularly, and droop fairly quickly if they dry out. However, with a dose of water they are soon standing upright again.


Godetia Facts

Bloom time: Spring, early summer.
Exposure: Sun to part shade. Highly cold resistant.
Soil: Best in sandy soil without added fertilizer.
Average Size: 1.5 - 2.5 feet high.
Growth rate: Once flowering, successive flowers form quickly.
Water: Keep uniformly moist during growing season. Do not let dry out.
Fertilizing: Do not fertilize.
Pruning: Remove dead flowers at base.

With its slightly flaring pink or lavender flowers, it looks great in borders or planters, and also makes a good cut flower.