Practical
Plants

Claytonia megarhiza

Alpine Spring Beauty

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.15 m
Spread
0.1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - raw or cooked[7][10][11][2]. Peeled, then boiled or baked[5]. The root is long, fleshy and up to 2.5cm thick[5][8]. Leaves and flowering tops - raw or cooked as a potherb[11][4][5]. Succulent, juicy and mild in flavour[5]. Flowers - raw.

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
Western N. America - Washington and southwards.
Habitat
Gravelly soils, rock crevices and high montane regions[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
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[3]. 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][3]. Requires a very well-drained lime-free soil[3][8]. A very cold hardy plant, succeeding outdoors in all parts of Britain, but it is liable to rot if the soil is wet[9][8]. A good plant for the rock garden[9]. Plants are prone to aphis infestation[6].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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