Practical
Plants

Claytonia caroliniana

Broad-Leaved Spring Beauty

a perennial member of the Claytonia genus in the family Portulacaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or cooked like potatoes[4][6][9][10][11][3][7]. Rich in starch, it has a pleasant nutty flavour[105, K]. Leaves and stems - raw or cooked[10]. A very mild flavour, they are best mixed with stronger tasting leaves[3].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, south to North Carolina, Ohio and Missouri.
Habitat
Rich open woods, alluvial thickets and upland slopes[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow on a peat based compost in spring in a cold frame. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 4 weeks at 10°c[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Division of offsets in spring or autumn.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a damp peaty soil and a position in full sun[1][2]. Requires a lime-free soil[2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

  6. Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.

    ↩

  7. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩

  8. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  9. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  10. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2

  11. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩

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