Claytonia megarhiza

(Gray.) Parry.

Alpine spring beauty, Thick-rooted spring beauty

Montiaceae Edible: Flowers, Leaves, Roots 1,855 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

An evergreen perennial reaching 30cm tall and 10cm wide, hardy to UK zone 3. In leaf year-round and flowers April through July, with seeds ripening in May. Requires full sun and well-drained, mildly acid soil. Prefers moist conditions. The plant develops a long, fleshy taproot and occupies alpine and high-elevation habitats.

Description

A herb. It has a thick rootstock. The stems are 10 cm tall. A small spray of leaves and flowers comes from the top of the rootstock. The leaves are spoon shaped. The flowers are 12-20 mm across.

Edible Uses

The rosettes of the leaves and the roots can be eaten as an emergency food.

Traditional Uses

The long fleshy taproot is peeled then boiled or baked then eaten. The young leaves and flowering tops are eaten raw in salads or cooked as a potherb.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows high in the Rocky Mountains in western North America. It grows on talus and scree slopes. It suits hardiness zones 5-7.

Where It Grows

Canada, North America, USA,

Cultivation

It can be grown from seeds.

Propagation

Propagate from seed with cold stratification sown into gritty, well-drained media, though establishment is slow in harsh conditions. Vegetative division is impractical due to the deep taproot structure.

Other Uses

Provides nectar and pollen during the short alpine growing season for high-elevation pollinators. The deep root system stabilizes sparse alpine soils and contributes to the long-lived vegetation matrix in fragile alpine systems.

Notes

It is a rare plant. They have also been put in the family Portulacaceae.

References (12)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 273
Elias, T.S. & Dykeman P.A., 1990, Edible Wild Plants. A North American Field guide. Sterling, New York p 92
Esperanca, M. J., 1988. Surviving in the wild. A glance at the wild plants and their uses. Vol. 1. p 38
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 187

Show all 12 references

Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 203
Jackes, D. A., Edible Forest Gardens
Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 24
MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 205
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Porsild, A.E., 1974, Rocky Mountain Wild Flowers. Natural History Series No. 2 National Museums of Canada. p 154
Tozer, F., 2007, The Uses of Wild Plants. Green Man Publishing. p 70