Alpine Spring Beauty
Claytonia megarhiza
Family: Portulacaceae
What it is like
Claytonia megarhiza is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to July, and the seeds ripen in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Gravelly soils, rock crevices and high montane regions. Talus, scree and gravelly slopes at elevations of 2000 - 4000 metres.
Western N. America - Washington and southwards.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Root - raw or cooked. Peeled, then boiled or baked. The root is long, fleshy and up to 2.5cm thick. Leaves and flowering tops - raw or cooked as a potherb. Succulent, juicy and mild in flavour. Flowers - raw.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Prefers a damp peaty soil and a position in full sun. Requires a very well-drained lime-free soil. A very cold hardy plant, succeeding outdoors in all parts of Britain, but it is liable to rot if the soil is wet. A good plant for the rock garden. Plants are prone to aphis infestation. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 7 through 5. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down.
Propagating it: 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. 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.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist