Western Spring Beauty
Western spring beauty (Claytonia lanceolata) is a perennial in the purslane (Portulacaceae) family.
- The fleshy plant grows from a corm with fibrous roots and can have one or several stalks.
- A few lanceolate basal leaves may have underground stalks.
- Two leaves are located at the ends of stems, just below the flowers.
- Flowers are whitish or pinkish and may have pink veins.
- Two sepals and 5 petals per flower and many flowers per plant.
- Capsules form after flowering and black shiny seeds mature in late summer.
- Found in a wide variety of areas from the grasslands to subalpine zones.
- Spring beauties emerge after the snow melt and in open areas may bloom in large clusters.
- Alpine plants tend to be smaller.
- The leaves and the corms are edible and were a food source for First Nations peoples.
- Some variations can be found on the coastal areas.
- Also called western springbeauty or lanceleaf springbeauty.
Western spring beauties are a favorite wildflower we watch for each spring.