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colorful fall leaves of rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Lo’ (Fragrant Sumac) Photo © Mary Free
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Claytonia virginica ([Virginia] Spring Beauty)

Racemes of Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) flowers and buds plus basal and stem leaves in March.
Native Claytonia virginica flowers in the MGNV Shade Garden in Bon Air Park in March
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) flower with two persistent green sepals, five pink-veined white petals, five stamens, and a three-lobed stigma in March.
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) flowers and leaves.
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) in brown leaves in woods.
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) among mayapples and trilliums in spring.
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) with ferns and Downy Yellow Violet in woods in April

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Claytonia virginica Tried and True Native Plant Selections (Virginia) Spring Beauty for the Mid-Atlantic In moist open woodlands and meadows of the Mid-Atlantic,* delicate flowers of this native spring ephemeral open to greet the sun, then close when clouds or night arrive. As trees leaf out and temperatures rise, its foliage fades away and will not reappear until the next year. The Virginia Native Plant Society honored Spring Beauty as Wildflower of the Year in 1990. Corm En Masse and Close-up of Flowers Height: 1⁄2–1 foot Spread: 1⁄2–3⁄4 foot Bloom Color: White with pink veins Characteristics Delicate, low-growing ephemeral perennial Grass-like leaves, some basal plus one opposite pair midway up erect or decumbent hairless stem Racemes of small, fragrant, star-like, white flowers with pink veins and anthers bloom late March–May Ovoid capsule enclosed by two persistent sepals Spreads easily by multiplying corms (bulb-like stem bases) and self-seeding Attributes Dormant in summer: foliage dies to the ground and does not reappear until the next spring No serious pests or diseases; deer rarely damage Edible corms taste similar to chestnuts but their tiny size makes the collection effort hardly worthwhile** Attracts pollinators; some small rodents eat corms Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil Requirements: Average, well-drained Hyacinthus species - Hyacinth Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade, Shade Ornithogalum nutans - Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem Water Requirements: Moist Ornithogalum umbellatum - Star-of-Bethlehem Plant corms 2–3” deep and 3-6” apart in fall Ficaria verna - Lesser Celandine Use in rock, wildflower, or woodland gardens with later spreading perennials, which will cover the void left when spring beauty’s foliage dies back; naturalize in lawns as one would spring crocuses *It is native to DC and common throughout DE. It is present in MD except in the southern Eastern Shore and throughout PA. In VA, it is common throughout except in the far southwest and on the Eastern Shore. **Do not disturb spring beauty or other native plants in their natural habitat. Be sure to purchase nursery-propagated plants and not those that have been sourced from the wild. Hardiness: USDA Zones 3a–8b developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and by Mary Free, Quarry Shade Garden

Tried and True Native Plant Selections 
for the Mid-Atlantic

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Claytonia virginica ([Virginia] Spring Beauty)

In moist open woodlands and meadows of the Mid-Atlantic,* delicate flowers of this native spring ephemeral open to greet the sun, then close when clouds or night arrive. As trees leaf out and temperatures rise, its foliage fades away and will not reappear until the next year. The Virginia Native Plant Society honored Spring Beauty as Wildflower of the Year in 1990.

*It is native to DC and common throughout DE. It is present in MD except in the southern Eastern Shore and throughout PA. In VA, it is common throughout except in the far southwest and on the Eastern Shore. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets