Fairy fans flowers are native to western North America, and found in coastal hills and mountains from British Columbia south to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is commonly called Godetia, Clarkia, Satin Flowers, Farewell-To-Spring, Summer's Darling, and Red Ribbons.

 

Fairy Fans bear double, cup-like flowers in shades of pink and lavender. The flowers open wide and are satiny, wavy, and rippling. They look somewhat like a full skirt. The blooms are about 2-3 inches in diameter. The plants grow 2-3 feet tall.

 

Fairy Fans or Godetias’ four-petaled flowers are characteristic of the family, although the double-flowered varieties are used more frequently, that have more petals per bloom. The flowers are arranged up and down along the stems, and resemble in their double form. The unopened buds are erect, not drooping, and the stems are erect. Fairy Fan is an annual flower. It has a base branching and the overall habit and flowering time between many different colors is very uniform. Flowers are loaded heavily.

 

Varieties may be had in rose and white, scarlet, dark crimson and pure white. Usually a deeper color is found near the center of the flower, as if painted upon the petals.

 

Godetia is easy to grow. As wildflowers, they require little care. They prefer a cooler climate, and resent hot or excessively wet summers. The plants are grown from seeds. They can be directly seeded into the flower garden, or started indoors four to six weeks before the last frost date. Sow seeds early in the season, and cover lightly with 1/8" of fine garden or potting soil. The seeds sprout easily, but grow slowly if conditions are overly cloudy or otherwise unsatisfactory.

 

The flower has brilliant color and it makes one of the showiest of all in meadows. Godetias are pretty additions to garden-style arrangements, wedding flowers and other soft, romantic designs.

 

Insect and disease are not a common problem with this flower. Use of insecticides, repellents, and fungicides, may be used.

 

Did you know?

·        Three subspecies are currently recognized- Clarkia amoena subsp. Amoena, Clarkia amoena subsp. Huntiana andClarkia amoena subsp. whitneyi (Whitney's Farewell to Spring).

·        Godetia was name after Swiss botanist Charles H. Godet.