Miner's Lettuce / Spring Beauty (Claytonia perfoliata)

Family: Montiaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Iconic western native green with circular perfoliate leaves pierced right through the center by delicate white flower racemes. Saved countless Gold Rush miners from scurvy.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Shoots, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Spring, Early Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Crisp, succulent, tender, mild, and sweet with no bitterness—superior to cultivated butterhead lettuce. — Eaten fresh by the bowl as a gourmet spring salad; Lightly tossed with wild garlic vinaigrette; Briefly wilted into warm broths right before serving

Habitat & North American Range

Cool, shaded moist ravines, forest understories, redwood groves, and stream banks across western North America. (Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)