Today is Wildflower Wednesday where people around the world celebrate wildflowers. I am sharing a favorite, Claytonia perfoliata, also called "miner's lettuce" because it was used by the miners during California's 1849 gold rush to prevent scurvy. It is native to the Western Coastal and Mountainous regions of North America where it grows wild; however, I have never seen it in the forests here in Tennessee. In the early spring seedlings appear, grow, bloom, drop seeds and then disappear in the heat of summer. It is a welcomed weed in my herb garden because it's delicious in salads.
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| Scooter was hunting something that left tracks during the night. |
My seeds were purchased years ago from an online catalog. I first planted them beside my strawberry plants in the wooden planter Reese built. When the wood rotted and we transplanted the strawberries to the vegetable garden, the miner's lettuce was not growing. Only later did I realize no seeds had been saved. Also, the soil had been disturbed so there would not be any new seedlings the next year. My misfortune was shortlived because the seeds traveled with the soil all over the yard. Now I find them everywhere. This one sprouted in the middle of a daylily plant.
These are smaller, younger seedlings. The tender leaves have a milder flavor; however, I am letting mine mature so they will drop more seeds.
Miner's lettuce will tolerate full sun but prefers moist shade. They are great under trees and in areas vacant in the early spring. Mine are growing in a shady herb/flower bed. They will be gone or eaten by the time the flowers are needing space to spread.
Miner's Lettuce has been chosen to receive the honor of being showcased by me for the month of April's Wildflower Wednesday celebration.
All links mentioned above.
I have never heard of that. It sure is a cute little plant!
ReplyDeleteHappy Wildflower Wednesday!
The leaf shape is way cool. Happy WW.
ReplyDeleteHere Miner´s Lettuce is called Postelein or Claytonia.It can be added to winter salads or in
ReplyDeletesandwiches. However, many people do no know this wild plant. It is also cultivated and you can buy it in supermarkets in winter and early spring, but you will not find it often.
Christel
I have never seen it in the supermarket, but my choices of stores are extremely limited. So far I have only used it in salads. It is not invasive in my yard and has only sprouted in spots where I transplanted the soil with the seeds. It would be great to have a larger patch and so this year I will try and eat less so it can drop more seeds. That will be hard to do.
DeleteWow, supermarket? Amazing! Where do you live?
DeleteDo you just eat the leaf? Or are the flowers edible too?
ReplyDeleteThe whole plant is edible but we only use the leaves, stems and flowers. The stems are long but not twiggy like that of a leaf of spinach. I always remove the stems from a spinach leaf because I have had them poke me in the mouth. The stems on miner's lettuce are more similar to a bean sprout. They are easy to chew.
DeleteThe flowers are tiny, very, very tiny. They could not be used to garnish a salad because they could not easily be seen. I suppose you could hand out magnifying glasses but I would NEVER do that to anyone eating one of my fresh salads picked straight from the garden. (Always sprinkle pepper on everything before you put it on the table. Then you can say, "It is pepper, not dirt.")
Hi Jeannie—I live in Western Oregon, where it sometimes grows rampant where it’s happy. Some people say they wish they’d never planted it, but I received a 4” of it last year, and I’m glad. The ONLY problem I maybe can see is that it goes brown as it dies and leaves a hole in the areas it once dominated. But with so much food for critters and humans, how wrong can it be? Does yours look bad while it’s going dormant....or dying (it’s an annual, right?)?
ReplyDeleteHello Alyse! Yes, mine turns brown and looks horrible when it is dying. It did not matter when I had it planted in the strawberry bed but now it is in my front flowerbed. Well, I guess it still does not matter since I am quite relaxed about weeds in my garden.
DeleteThe vacant spots it leaves behind are not problems to me either because the other plants are beginning to fight for space when the miner's lettuce is dying. It is also very easy to weed out because the roots are not deep at all. None of the surrounding flowers are disturbed when I remove them. It is not invasive nor does it dominate many areas but is one plant here and there. It has been growing for about 10 years in my garden and these few plants are all that I have.
The wild critters in my garden do not bother it. I don't think they recognize it...or maybe "Scooter, the brave hunter" has kept my yard safe...hmmm. Perhaps he deserves a reward?
Perhaps it grows a little more prolifically here (even though I still would say it is nothing like a weed; not aggressive or dominant, and I had never seen a single one before in any of the gardens and I have worked). I have noticed that the critters here do you like it. A lot! That one four-inch pot, I put it in one of the large containers I use to grow veggies up on the deck (the only place safe from deer). By the second season it had invaded all three pots, growing thickly in all, which was fine as it’s almost like a cover crop. And I was eating it for greens. So tasty! But then I started to notice how much the birds and squirrels were in them. The pots are close to where we feed the birds. Now the birds and squirrels are in there all the time! And they appeared to be quite literally EATING the miners lettuce! At first I thought it was just bugs they were after, maybe aphids(?), but I never did seen one bug. And then I thought maybe they were after the seeds. But there are days I go out there and fresh whole leaves are gone! Perhaps that is the squirrel (maybe a little more believable?). Someone said both birds and squirrels might be eating it for the water content. Anyway, I stopped eating it, as the surface area is so compact, it started to feel a little like critter bathroom!
DeleteI really appreciate your sharing your experience on how it grows, pulls, the dormancy phase, etc. Miner’s Lettuce has been one of my favorites since youth. Until recently, I just didn’t conceive of using it (or how to use it, aesthetically) around my home.
Many thanks!
(P.S. I love your story about your mom, how she religiously reads your blog. She’s a keeper!)
I would love to try this little plant, but being way past 18 years of age, I guess I will have to leave it for the kids.
ReplyDeleteYAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My brother posted for the first time ever on my blog!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!! The miner's lettuce is not just for the minors, we old folk can enjoy it also.
DeleteAs for the miner's lettuce, I will bring you a bite the next time I see you and save seeds for next year. Drop them in your front flower bed in one of the little holes in the blocks which surround the bed. It would be best if you put them toward the left side under the tree so they can have some shade. I hope I am not being bossy again.
This interesting plant is new to me, so of course I had to Google it to see if it grows in the NE. I don't think it does, but I learned that it got its name from the California Gold Rush miners who would eat it. I really should participate in this meme -- Happy WFW!Pam x
ReplyDeleteOh do join us next time Pam. I have discovered wildflowers are unlimited. One man's weed is another man's wildflower. Wait, was that supposed to be treasure?
DeleteHi Jeannie, That's a really interesting plant and so pretty. And, I've never heard of it so I'm learning.....Scooter looks happy and healthy and eager to get into the full swing of summer, chasing varmints.
ReplyDeleteScooter loves chasing varmints...until it is nap-time on the couch.
DeleteI can see those leaves garnishing a salad - so pretty and unusual. I must make do with spekboom leaves ;~)
ReplyDeleteNot knowing anything about "spekboom leaves", I had to go to your blog and search. To my surprise you show the plant with three elephants munching on it. I have had many problems with critters in my garden, but elephants is not one of them!
Deletehttp://eefalsebay.blogspot.com/2017/03/cape-towns-drought-and-spekboom-Portulacaria-afra.html