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Claytonia virginica - Spring Beauty

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a small, early spring flowering perennial in the purslane family. It grows from 3 to about 12 inches in height and produces showy white to pinkish flowers. The flowers have 5 petals that are approximately 0.5" long with pink veination. They are borne in a loose raceme of about 4 to 13 flowers. The leaves are usually a single pair of stem leaves, usually longer than 3 inches and much longer than they are wide. Sometimes basal leaves are present. The leaf blade gradually merges into the petiole.

They are often found in moist forests, lawns, and roadsides in the eastern portion of the US from January through early May. They are common.

The flowers are eaten by deer, elk, and sheep and have been documented to be visited by over 70 different species of insect pollinators. This plant is also known by other names such as Good Morning Spring, Fairy Spuds, and Grass Flower. It has also been referred to as Wild Potato because the corms from which it grows can be dug, boiled, and eaten. When cooked, they have a flavor reminiscent of chestnuts. They can be consumed raw but they then have a radish-like flavor.

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  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me