Flower profile

Miner's lettuce

Claytonia perfoliata

Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is a flowering plant in the Montiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–May across the U.S.

Native to California

Miner's lettuce is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.

14states where USDA records it

22,626CA sightings*

27,171U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Claytonia perfoliata, commonly known as miner's lettuce or winter purslane, is a flowering plant in the family Montiaceae. It is an edible, fleshy, herbaceous, annual plant native to the western mountain and coastal regions of North America.
From Wikipedia's article Claytonia perfoliata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 14 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 22,626 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #20 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in February–April.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,748 records)

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
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 miner's lettuce in 14 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Miner's lettuce a low shade tolerance, none drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 7.0 and winter lows down to 52 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: None
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: 52 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 40
Annual precipitation range: 14 to 36 inches
Minimum root depth: 6 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Spring
Can be propagated by: seed
Commercial availability: Contracting Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CLPE. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Probably introduced; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 170 counties across 10 states; the most are in California (51), Oregon (35), Washington (23).

Other Claytonia on Bloomipedia (5): Virginia springbeauty, Candy flower, Carolina springbeauty, Lanceleaf springbeauty, Madrean springbeauty.

More from the Montiaceae family (7 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Redmaids, Bitterroot.

More California flowers

Redmaids

Calandrinia menziesii

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–April

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May

California buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLPE.
iNaturalist, Claytonia perfoliata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Claytonia perfoliata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Claytonia perfoliata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Sam Kieschnick via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.