[Miner's Lettuce and Spring Beauties: The Genus Claytonia West of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty
Claytonia sibirica
Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica
![Flower of Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/claytoniasibirica1.jpg)
Note the striping on the petals as well as the notches at their tips.
Characteristics:
The candy flower is an annual or short lived perennial.
The 5 petals are peppermint-striped. The coloration is white with pink
stripes, and individual petals range from 6-12 mm long. 3-5 stamens are present.
The inflorescence is a raceme.
The 2 stem leaves are elliptical-shaped, thick and fleshy, ranging from
1-5 cm wide and up to 7 cm long. They appear opposite one another on the soft
, fleshy stem. The lower, basal leaves have long, thin petioles (2-3 time longer
than the blades) and lanceolate, elliptic, or rhombic-ovate blades from 1-4
cm wide and as long or longer. The blades may also be narrowly lanceolate and
3-10 mm wide.
Candy flower has numerous erect to decumbent stems arising 10-35 cm high.
The candy Flower wilts quickly after picking.
Habitat:
Candy flower may be found in the moist rich soils of open to shady woods from
the lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Range:
Candy flower may be found over much of western North America. It may be found
from Alaska south to southern California and east to Montana and Utah.
Uses:
1. Candy flower may be used as a lettuce or spinach substitute in salads. The leaves, stems, and flowers may all be eaten. All parts are high in vitamins A & C.
2. The juices may be rubbed into the hair with one's hands for use as a styling gel.
3. Early miners reportedly let ants walk over the leaves to help give it a tangy, vinegar-like flavor.
- ![Flower and paired stem leaves of Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/siberica04-03-2016b.jpg)
Siberian miner's lettuce with bright flowers as seen along the trails through Nob Hill Park in St. Helens, OR........April 3, 2016.
![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/siberica07-15-2020.jpg)
Siberian miner's lettuce in bloom along the Pacific Crest Trail #2000 on the west side of Observation Peak at the the headwaters of Kettle Creek, Siskiyou Crest, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.......July 15, 2020.
- ![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/claytoniasibirica4.jpg)
Note the paired upper stem leaves.
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- ![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/siberica04-19-2016b.jpg)
Siberian spring beauty with dark foliage and stems blooming along the Cape Arago Trail at Shore Acres State Park.........April 19, 2016.
- ![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/siberica03-30-2019.jpg)
The basal rosette of leaves of candy flower as seen at left along the Newton Road-Wildwood Trail-Fire Road 12 loop in Forest Park, northwestern Portland, Oregon...........January 6, 2013. The photo at right shows an early blooming siberian spring-beauty in a trough (where it had self seeded) in the webmaster's garden, Gresham, OR......March 30, 2019.
![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/claytoniasibirica3.jpg)
![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonym: Montia sibirica)](sibirica/sibirica1a.jpg)
A close-up of the paired sepals of candy flower as seen in Gresham, OR........May 5, 2009.
![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/siberica04-14-2023.jpg)
Candy flower which had self-seeded into a plastic pot in the webmaster's Gresham, OR garden......April 14, 2023.
- ![Candy Flower, Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia sibirica (Synonyms: Claytonia heterophylla, Claytonia sibirica var. bulbifera, Claytonia sibirica ssp. sibirica, Montia heterophylla, Montia sibirica, Montia sibirica var. bulbifera, Montia sibirica var. heterophylla, Montia sibirica var. sibirica)](sibirica/siberica02-24-2016.jpg)
Another close-up (left) of the candy-striped petals of candy flower as seen in Gresham, OR........May 5, 2009. The photo at right shows a close-up of a flower observed in Gresham, OR.........February 24, 2016.
Paul Slichter