Bloomipedia
Candy flower (Claytonia sibirica)
Photo: Gavin Slater via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Candy flower

Claytonia sibirica

Native in the lower 48

Candy flower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.

7states
3of our state lists
13,517U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alaska, Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Claytonia sibirica is a flowering plant in the family Montiaceae, commonly known as pink purslane, candy flower, Siberian spring beauty or Siberian miner's lettuce. A synonym is Montia sibirica. It is native to Aleutian Islands and western North America and has been introduced into parts of Europe and Scandinavia.

  • It belongs to the Montiaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Oregon, Washington and Alaska. NatureServe
  • In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 5,980 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #8 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,515 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #30 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 553 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #77 among the 108 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist

Candy flower gift ideas

Handmade candy flower gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,311 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
OregonNativeApril–July5,980
WashingtonNativeMarch–July4,515
AlaskaNativeMay–July553

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Oregon
Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Alaska
No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records candy flower in 7 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, Washington.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Washington, Yamhill.

Washington counties with USDA records: Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Chugach, Copper River, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Sitka, Yakutat.

More Oregon flowers

Sources