Practical
Plants

Montia spathulata

Pale Spring Beauty

an annual member of the Montia genus in the family Portulacaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Montia
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.08 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Leaves - raw or cooked[4][2][5]. Succulent[3].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
Western N. America - British Columbia southwards.
Habitat
Dry to moist slopes[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ. The seed usually germinates rapidly.

Cultivation

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

We have almost no information on this species but judging by its native range it should be possible to grow it as a hardy annual in Britain. It is closely allied to M. perfoliata (a species that is naturalized in Britain) and probably has the same cultivation requirements as listed below. Prefers a moist peaty soil[1][7]. Plants can succeed on very poor and dry soils and in the shade of trees[6][7].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  6. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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