Herb: Broad-Leaved Spring Beauty


Latin name: Claytonia caroliniana


Family: Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)



Edible parts of Broad-Leaved Spring Beauty:

Root - raw or cooked like potatoes. Rich in starch, it has a pleasant nutty flavour. Leaves and stems - raw or cooked. A very mild flavour, they are best mixed with stronger tasting leaves.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
10 cm
(4 inches)

Flowering:
March

Habitat of the herb:

Rich open woods, alluvial thickets and upland slopes.

Propagation of Broad-Leaved Spring Beauty:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rich open woods, alluvial thickets and upland slopes.

Medicinal use of Broad-Leaved Spring Beauty:

None known

Known hazards of Claytonia caroliniana:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.