Wild Guide

Spring Beauty

Claytonia virginica

Status

Common

Size

About 5 inches during flowering

Distribution

Statewide

This well-named plant provides a bounty of beauty in the woods as well as in open areas and yards. Found, often in abundance, in open woods, fields, valleys, suburban lawns, and sometimes rocky ledges, this is Missouri’s most widely distributed early spring flower.

Life Cycle

Spring beauties bloom from February through May. Stalks bear several flowers branching from the main stem.

Ecosystem Connections

Early spring risers like spring beauties offer a welcome dietary boost for many animals, from insects to birds to mammals.

Did You Know?

Native Americans were the original locavores, or wild foods enthusiasts. They knew the value of spring beauties for their potato-like corms and edible leaves.