Claytonia perfoliata

Common Names

Miner's Lettuce, Winter Purslane, Indian Lettuce, Spring Beauty, Miners Lettuce, Claspleaf Miner's Lettuce

Summary

Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is a small, fleshy annual herb native to western North America, with a range from British Columbia to Guatemala. It grows as a low, ground-covering plant with prostrate stems and basal rosettes, and features cauline leaves fused around the stem into a circular perfoliate leaf from which a raceme of small white to pinkish flowers rises; leaves, stalks, and flowers are edible, with mild-tasting, succulent foliage.

It favors cool, moist conditions and tolerates sun to shade, with moist, well-drained soils. It self-seeds readily and can be grown as a winter crop in milder climates; hardy to USDA zones 6–9; propagation is by seed, with germination around 50–55 F and emergence in 7–10 days; harvest leaves for salads or use as ground cover in woodland understories; does not require fertilizer once established.

Lifecycle

Annual, Perennial, Biennial

Height

2-20 inches

Spread

4-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Partial Shade (dappled shade), tolerates Full Sun and Full Shade

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil; adaptable to a range of substrates including sand, riverine silts, gravel, rock crevices, talus and scree.

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.2-6.8

Bloom Color

Pink or white

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Red, Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Other

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds (self-seeds freely)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds, No information on attracting bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, or other pollinators