Clarkias are typically annual herbs, growing either prostrate or erect to a height of less than 2 metres.

Their flowers have four sepals and four petals, usually white, pink, or red, and are often spotted or streaked.

Their fruit are elongated, cylindrical pods, usually 4-grooved or 8-grooved, and when mature they hold many tiny, cubical seeds.

Unofficially, the genus is sometimes referred to as Yorkia, in honor of York, an African-American member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Clarkia species play important roles in their local ecosystems, as they provide habitat for native pollinators.