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NAME: Spring Beauty

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Claytonia Virginica / Portulacaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Virginia spring beauty, Hammond's claytonia

CONDITIONS: shade, moist soil
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves		bitter	BOIL twice	Spring
Stalk/Stem
Buds		bitter	BOIL twice	Spring
Flowers		bitter	BOIL twice	Spring
Fruits
Pods
Seeds
Nuts
Roots		potato/chestnut	RAW/PEEL/BOIL	Spring
Bark

 

PORTION: medium

 

COMMENT: Absolutely delicious roots when cooked/boiled. Tastes like a silky potato. Separately, boil leaves and flowers twice with fresh water to remove bitterness, then can be served with roots. // A radish-like flavour when raw, it tastes like a cross between a potato and a chestnut when cooked. The root is rich in vitamins A and C.(1)

 

CAUTION: It has been said that eating the raw plants can permanently prevent conception.(1)

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL: “This plant has been used medicinally by the Iroquois, who would give a cold infusion or decoction of the powdered roots to children suffering from convulsions. They would also eat the raw roots, believing that they permanently prevented conception.”(3)  Antispasmodic;Contraceptive.(1)

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES:  http://www.wildfoodies.org/Look-A-Likes.htm

Star of Bethlehem (has poisonous parts)- http://www.wildfoodies.org/StarOfBethlehem.htm

Snowdrop (poisonous & medicinal ) https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Galanthus+nivalis

 

OTHER USES:

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Claytonia+virginica
2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/spring-beauty  
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytonia_virginica
4. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Claytonia_virginica (good photos)
5. https://www.ediblewildfood.com/spring-beauty.aspx
6. https://www.ediblewildfood.com/spring-beauty-edible-spring-plant-video.aspx
7. http://www.nomadseed.com/2016/11/spring-beauty-claytonia-virginica (great photos)
8. https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/spring_beauty_tasty_tubers (recipes)
9. https://practicalselfreliance.com/spring-beauty-claytonia
10. https://www.songofthewoods.com/spring-beauty-claytonia-caroliniana
11. https://www.cargocultcafe.com/spring-beauty