Plant Sale 2025 — Claytonia virginica
Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty, Virginia Spring Beauty or Eastern Spring Beauty) is an early bloomer (March to April) and by the time of our plant sale this plant is often done blooming and both the flowers and foliage are beginning to fade away for the year. This small native plant gets two to six inches tall with grass like leaves. The star like white flower has pink stripes reminding some people of peppermint candy. The flowers open up on warm sunny days, and close during cloudy weather and at night.
Disease and insect damage is rare. Occasionally butterflies and skippers visit seeking nectar. The corms are eaten by small mammals including the Eastern Chipmunk. Our native ****Spring Beauty bee is a specialist bee and it only feeds the pretty pink pollen of Claytonia virginica to its young, so no Spring Beauty plants means no Spring Beauty bees****
Photos: E.M. Truax
