Tuberous Spring Beauty
Claytonia tuberosa
Family: Portulacaceae
What it is like
Claytonia tuberosa is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from April to July, and the seeds ripen in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). 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
Sphagnum tundra in the Arctic. Wet to moist stony tundra slopes from sea level to 1200 metres in Alaska.
Northwestern N. America - Alaska, to E. Asia - Siberia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Root - raw or cooked. It can be added to soups and stews. It is rather small. Leaves - raw or cooked. A source of vitamins A and C, the leaves can be used as greens. Flowers - raw.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Prefers a damp peaty soil and a position in full sun. Requires a lime-free soil.
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