Flowers › Clarkia
❀ Flower · Early Summer
Michigan Clarkia
An old-fashioned cottage favorite, Clarkia lines its tall stems with ruffled, crepe-paper blooms in pinks and lavenders that feel plucked from a vintage garden.
Seasonal Availability
About Clarkia
Clarkia, sometimes called mountain garland, is a charming old-fashioned annual whose tall, wiry stems open a long succession of ruffled, crepe-paper flowers in pink, magenta, lavender, salmon, and white. The blooms climb the stem over many days, giving each cutting a loose, cottage-garden grace that mixes beautifully into a just-gathered bouquet. It carries the same nostalgic, slightly wild feeling as sweet peas and larkspur.
The genus Clarkia hails from the American West, named for the explorer William Clark, and it is grown from seed rather than gathered here. It is a cool-season plant that suits Michigan’s spring perfectly: sown early, it relishes our crisp weather and comes into bloom as the first real warmth of June arrives, carrying on into July.
For our growers clarkia is a lovely, low-key cut that rewards an early sowing. Its airy spikes and soft palette make it a natural for romantic early-summer bouquets and for softening the shape of a mixed arrangement.
Clarkia From Our Farmers
Clarkia at a Glance
In season (MI)
June to July
Colors
Pink, magenta, lavender, salmon, white
Stem length
18 to 36 inches
Best for
Cottage spikes, mixed bouquets, airy accents, filler
How to buy
Requested in a DIY bucket, or custom design
Forms & Varieties
Cut clarkia comes mostly from a few tall annual strains bred for long, well-branched stems.
Tall double types
Fully ruffled, almost azalea-like blooms packed up the stem, the showiest cut form.
Single mountain garland
Looser, more open flowers with a wilder, cottage feel for naturalistic designs.
Mixed pastel strains
Soft blends of pink, lavender, and white for romantic early-summer palettes.
Salmon and rose selections
Warmer tones that add depth to bouquets and pair well with foliage.
Care & Vase Life
- Expect 5 to 8 days; recut and place in fresh, deep water right away.
- Harvest or buy when the lowest few flowers on the stem are open.
- Keep the water clean and change it often to extend vase life.
- Strip lower leaves below the waterline.
- Keep arrangements cool and out of direct sun.
When We Have Clarkia
Clarkia blooms in June and July, riding the cool tail of a Michigan spring into early summer. It fades as the heat builds, so the window is real but generous. Every stem is grown by our member farmers.
Availability shifts week to week with the Michigan season, so colors and varieties vary. Reserve ahead for events, and check the shop for what our farmers have cut this week.
How to Get Clarkia
Request clarkia in a DIY bucket
Reserve a DIY bucket and request clarkia to arrange yourself, perfect for weddings, events, or filling your home. Order ahead and pick up at the barn.
Reserve a DIY bucketBuy clarkia in the shop
When clarkia are in season, you can buy them straight from our online shop. It’s especially good value if you’re a wholesale buyer member.
Visit the shopLet us design it for you
Prefer it done for you? Our floral designers create custom, clarkia-forward arrangements and full wedding and event work. Pickup is at the barn; buyer members can also arrange local delivery.
Request floral designClarkia FAQs
What is the difference between clarkia and godetia?
They are close cousins in the same genus. Clarkia (the mountain garland types) has tall, wiry stems lined with small ruffled flowers, while godetia has larger, cup-shaped satiny blooms. We grow both.
How long does cut clarkia last?
Around 5 to 8 days, with new flowers opening up the stem. Fresh water and clean stems give the best display.
Is clarkia good for a DIY bucket?
Yes. Its airy spikes and soft cottage colors make it a lovely early-summer DIY-bucket flower, especially mixed with sweet peas and larkspur.
Does clarkia come back every year?
No, it is an annual grown fresh from seed each spring, though it will sometimes self-sow in a happy spot.
Pairs Well With
CosmosFlower · July through October
SnapdragonFlower · June to September
StockFlower · May through June
LarkspurFlower · June to July
NigellaFlower · June through August
Sweet PeaFlower · June to JulyClarkia Available to Buy Now
Ready to plan with clarkia?
Reserve clarkia for your event or ask our designers to build something around them, grown by our Michigan farmer collective.