Claytonia virginica
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- klay-TOH-nee-uh vir-JIN-ih-kuh
- Description
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Spring-beauty is a herbaceous perennial wildflower in the Montiaceae family, native to the eastern United States and typically found in moist woodland areas. It is a low growing plant, rising to 9 inches at maturity, with groups of light pink or white flowers that sport dark pink stripes. The flowers open on sunny days and close at night and on cloudy days.The leaves are narrow and resemble grass. The leaves disappear in late spring when the plant becomes dormant.The genus name honors John Clayton (1686-1773), a colonial Virginia botanist and the species name means of Virginia.
This plant prefers full sun or partial shade in moist, organically rich, humusy soils with good drainage. It tolerates a variety of soil types and spreads easily. It can be naturalized by bulb offsets or self-seeding in meadows, woodlands or even the yard and used in rock gardens and native wildflower gardens.
For best results, plant corms 3 inches deep and space them 3 inches apart in the fall. The small, potato-like, underground corms are edible with a chestnut-like flavor. When selecting a site for the plants, consider the post-bloom dormancy.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No serious diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Claytonia
- Species:
- virginica
- Family:
- Montiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans and settlers used the tubers as a food source.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeastern Canada, central and eastern U.S.A.
- Distribution:
- Ontario Canada south to Georgia, west to Texas and the Mississippi River.
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant attracts bees, pollinators, and mammals. The Andrena erigeniae bee takes pollen only from this plant.
- Edibility:
- Underground tubers have a sweet chestnut flavor.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 9 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 9 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Bulb
- Edible
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Spring
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Oval capsule with seeds is enclosed by the 2 persistent sepals. Occurs March to May.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Five petaled white to pink with dark pink stripes in loose clusters bloom in April at the top of the 4 to 6 inch thin stems. Individual flowers are 1/3 inch across with 2 green sepals and 5 stamens with pink anthers.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are grass-like and linear to linear-lanceolate occurring in pairs on the stem with a few basilar leaves. They may reach 6-12 inches long before going dormant and are around 0.5 inches wide.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Light green or reddish green, glabrous, and rather succulent.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Problems:
- Weedy
