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Spring Beauty

Claytonia virginica

CommonPlant
Illustration of Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Spring Beauty is one of the most abundant spring ephemeral wildflowers of eastern deciduous forests, carpeting the ground with small pink-striped white blossoms in March and April. The small corm is edible with a starchy, chestnut-like flavor and was eaten by indigenous peoples. A specialist native bee, Andrena erigeniae, collects pollen almost exclusively from spring beauty.

Habitat
Rich deciduous forest floors, often in massive colonies
Diet
Sole pollen source for Andrena erigeniae bee; corms eaten by chipmunks
How common
Common

Best time to see a Spring Beauty

The best time to see a Spring Beauty is March–April, when about 85% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 84,189 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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