Virginia Spring Beauty

Growth habit

Herbaceous

Perennation

Perennial

Native distribution

Native to the Finger Lakes Region

Cultivation

A 6" tall ephemeral with pink and white flowers that will spread.
Light: part shade to part sun
Moisture and Soil: adaptable, but wants rich soil

Propagation

Seed Treatment and Storage: store moist and give warm-cold-warm stratification

Biocultural value

The Haudenosaunee and Algonquin used spring beauty corms and foliage as a food source. The Haudenosaunee also employed the powdered corms as a remedy for children suffering from convulsions.

The statements above were sourced from: Native American Ethnobotany Database: http://naeb.BRIT Native American Ethnobotany Database.org/

Wildlife value

Spring beauty's bright pink pollen is an important source of nourishment for bees, particularly the specialist Spring Beauty Bee (Andrena erigeniae), in early spring. Spring beauty corms are dug and eaten by small rodents, including the white-footed mouse and eastern chipmunk. The foliage is browsed sparingly by white-tailed deer.

Climate change sensitivity

Over the period from 1986 to 2015, Claytonia virginica bloomed an average of 0.5 days earlier.

Location

Mundy Wildflower Garden, Coy Glen

Special characteristics

Spring beauty's bright pink pollen is an important source of nourishment for bees in early spring.

Status

L4|S5|G5