Herb: Lanceleaf Spring Beauty


Latin name: Claytonia lanceolata


Family: Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)



Edible parts of Lanceleaf Spring Beauty:

Root - raw or cooked. Rather palatable. The raw root has a pleasant radish-like taste, when baked it has the taste and texture of baked potato. The roots can be dried, ground into a powder and stored for later use. Leaves - raw or cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
March

Habitat of the herb:

Rich soils that are moist in spring from the foothills to alpine slopes.

Propagation of Lanceleaf 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 soils that are moist in spring from the foothills to alpine slopes.

Medicinal use of Lanceleaf Spring Beauty:

None known

Known hazards of Claytonia lanceolata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.