Carolina
Spring Beauty
Claytonia
caroliniana
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Spring Beauty
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These
tiny, delicate little wildflowers are the epitome of a spring ephemeral.
Look for them particularly in mid-to-higher elevations in hardwood forest
(although it can also be found under spruce and fir). The tiny plants just
barely peek out over the leaf litter in early spring, sometimes carpeting
entire hillsides. The flowers, about 1/3 inch across, are composed of 5
petals. The petals are white-to-pink with pink vertical streaks. Each plant
may have many, many blooms. In our area there are two species - virginica
and caroliniana on the left. You can tell them apart by the leaves-caroliniana
leaves are short and broad, virginica are grasslike. The caroliniana
flowers are usually more white, while the virginiana flowers are usually
more noticeably pink. There is also an altitude difference- virginica
takes the low road, growing around 3500 ft, while caroliniana takes
the high road, growing around 5000 ft. fdudley@weaversites.com
Fiona Dudley
Weaversites
986 Reems Creek Road
Weaverville NC 28787
828-231-1501
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