Godetia: sowing, growing, care

Description and Botany

The Godetia, now called Clarkia and sometimes nicknamed “satin flower,” is an annual plant once very common in all flower gardens in North America. The Godetia belongs to the Onagraceae family, just like gauras and fuchsias. Native to California, it grows spontaneously in meadows, forest edges, or rocky slopes. It is now related to the Clarkia genus, which is why it is associated with its cousin, the Clarkia, to which it is closely related.

Godetia niverti, botanical plate (circa 1850)

The genus comprises about forty species, alongside the widely known Godetia (Clarkia amoena), which has given rise to numerous cultivars. Another cultivated species is the Clarkia unguiculata (elegans) or elegant clarkia. The many varieties add to the range of forms and colours.

From a taproot, the plant forms a vigorous, upright, and bushy clump with a highly branched silhouette, reaching an average height of 0.50 to 80 cm and a width of 30 cm in one season. There are adorable dwarf forms, very compact, not exceeding 25 cm in height. The foliage is dense. The slender, branched stems from the base of the clump bear small, green leaves, alternate, elongated, elliptical, and lanceolate, with margins sometimes irregularly dentate.

The exuberant flowering, displayed in soft, fruity, and varied hues, is irresistibly charming, largely concealing the foliage. Exceptionally generous, it spreads from May to September, depending on the sowing date, and renews itself throughout the summer. The Godetia or Clarkia offers funnel-shaped flowers, single, double, or semi-double. They bloom at the tips of the stems, gathered in pendulous then upright clusters. They open into flared, turbinate trumpets, 2 to 4 cm in diameter, composed of 4 silky petals (for single varieties), sometimes slightly plicate, hence its nickname “satin flower.”

White, carmine pink, peach pink, apricot, red, lilac, violet, plain, bicoloured, or variegated, they offer an infinite range of vivid or pastel colours. The widely open throat is often maculate and highlighted with a coloured halo. Each flower seems painted, and some fully double ones resemble azalea flowers.

Clarkia unguiculata, Clarkia amoena, and Clarkia pulchella

These satin flowers make excellent cut flowers for composing delightful bouquets and are highly prized in floristry.

Melliferous, this endless flowering attracts a great number of pollinating insects, bees, and butterflies throughout the summer, who delight in it.

These inflorescences give way to capsule fruits that release numerous seeds at ripeness, capable of producing spontaneous seedlings in light soils.

Main species and varieties

Clarkia unguiculata Excellent Mix Seeds - Mountain Garland

A blend of silky flowers in varied colours, renewing themselves throughout the summer.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

Clarkia unguiculata Apple Blossom

A very beautiful double-flowered cultivar producing numerous satiny salmon-pink flowers.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Godetia amoena

A blend of silky corollas, either solid or variegated, showcasing various soft hues.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 55 cm

See the product sheet

Godetia Rembrandt Seeds - Clarkia

This cultivar stands out for its homogeneous and bicoloured flowering.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

Sowing and planting of the godetia

Where to Sow Godetia?

The satin flower is a tender plant that will be grown as an annual in our temperate climates. Very floriferous and fast-growing, it needs a sheltered spot away from the wind to protect its brittle stems, and plenty of sunlight to flower well. In the south of our country, it will tolerate partial shade.

It prefers slightly acidic, loose soil, fresh to dry but well-drained, and dislikes overly hot or humid conditions.

Plant this charming annual on balconies and terraces, in containers or pots. The excellent durability of its flowers also makes it suitable for garden planting to create lovely ephemeral borders for perennial or annual beds, or to brighten flower beds and rockeries.

As it is a very melliferous plant, it can also be sown in the vegetable garden to improve the ecosystem and provide a reserve of flowers for bouquets.

Clarkia elegant and Ceanothus ‘Skylark’ (© Jkehoe Photos)

When and How to Sow Godetia Seeds?

Godetia seeds are sown in spring, from April to May, directly in place, after any risk of frost, for flowering from July to September. Sowing in March is possible in mild regions. Young godetia plants tolerate transplanting poorly, so direct sowing is preferable. Neither thinned nor transplanted, they manage on their own! Consider staggering your sowings until June to extend the flowering period.

Sow Directly in Place

• Prepare the soil well by loosening it to half a spade’s depth
• Sow in clusters of 2 to 3 seeds per hole, 3mm deep, spaced 25cm apart
• Add a good amount of compost to each planting hole and a little river sand to improve drainage
• Fill in and firm down
• Water
• Keep the substrate moist until germination

Clarkia pulchella

Sow in Pots

For earlier flowering, you can sow indoors directly in pots or containers using good potting soil. This type of sowing is also possible outdoors after the frosts.

• In a 40cm-deep pot with drainage holes, spread gravel or clay pebbles
• Fill the container with a mix of seed compost, well-rotted compost, and garden soil
• Sow thinly or in clusters of 3 seeds
• Water and keep moist until germination
• Move outdoors once all risk of frost has passed

→ Learn more in our tutorial: How to Sow Clarkia?

Cultivation and care

The Godetia is a highly floriferous and generous annual plant that requires very little care.

Watering should be regular, especially during hot and dry weather, but not excessive, as too much water can cause root rot. In pots, it will need more water, as the substrate dries out faster than in the ground. Always allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Spread mulch around the base to reduce evaporation.

During growth, apply a little flowering plant fertiliser about once a month. Soil that is too rich encourages foliage growth at the expense of flowering, so use it sparingly.

In a garden exposed to wind, stake the taller cultivars. Regularly remove faded flowers to prolong flowering. Allow seeding if you want it to self-sow naturally.

In well-drained soil, the plant is resistant to diseases.

Clarkia rubicunda

Multiplication

To multiply your satin flowers, you can collect the seeds to sow them the following spring—nothing simpler by following our sowing advice a little further up.

Associating the godetia

With its trumpet-shaped flowers in fruity or soft hues, the Godetia is one of those essential annual plants for pots, planters, flower beds, or summer borders. Its floribundus nature allows for interesting pairings with many other annuals or perennials. It ensures a beautifully flowered season! It is easy to incorporate into natural or naturalistic gardens, country gardens, and English cottage or romantic gardens. It adds a rustic charm to any composition.

In a large summer romantic flower bed, with white or pink roses and lavatera as a backdrop, it pairs effortlessly with other charming annuals in white or pink tones, such as cosmos, Nigella damascena, baby’s breath, snapdragons, and dahlias in the same delicate shades.

Complete the scene with beautiful airy perennials like asters, hollyhocks, or a Salvia nemorosa ‘Amethyst’ to create dynamic and long-lasting flower beds.

In a border, mix it with Ageratum, another annual with soft lavender-blue flowering, petunias, or a Celosia ‘Flamingo Pink’, which are ideal for adding colour to borders.

Godetia, Salvia nemorosa ‘Amethyst’, Cosmos, Dahlias, snapdragons, Nigella, and hollyhocks