Claytonia virginica

narrow-leaf springbeauty, claytone de virginie, spring beauty, virginia springbeauty
Family

Portulacaceae

Leaf Arrangement

alternate, basal (rosulate)

Leaf Attachment

petiolate

Leaf Type

cauline, simple

Leaf Shape

linear, oblanceolate

Growth Form

forb

Flower Color

pink, white

Flower Petals

5

Flower Month

January - May

Height (meters)

0.0 - 0.4

Milky Sap

No

Armed/Unarmed

Unarmed

Origin

native

Lifespan

perennial

Growing Season

Cool season


Wetland Class

FACU

Prairie Coefficient of Conservatism

7

Cultural Information

Seed germination improves with cold/moist stratification (Steffen 1997).

Natural History

Claytonia in named in honor of Dr. John Clayton, a botanist and plant collector during the Colonial period. Springbeauty is one of the first coastal prairie wildflowers to appear in the spring. It is also found in open woods and meadows in much of the eastern United States. The young leaves and plants may be eaten in the spring, raw or cooked. The roots are eaten raw or cooked in late spring before the tops die back. After die-back the roots are difficult to find. Because this wildflower is rare in coastal prairie it should never be harvested from remnants for food.

Habitat

Rich low woods, in sandy soil, thickets, clearings.