Spring Beauty, common name for a category of small, spring-blooming wildflowers that thrive in the rich, damp soil of woodlands. Spring beauties are native to Europe and the Americas and are sometimes grown in rock gardens and woodland gardens. They are among the first woodland wildflowers to bloom in the spring.
Spring Beauty

Most of the 20 species of spring beauties are perennials, plants that live for at least three years. They are all 30 cm (1 ft) or less in height and have thick, fleshy stems and leaves. The leaves may grow at the base of the stem, along the stem, or both. The dainty five-petalled flowers are white or pink and often have dark pink veins. The flowers bloom from

March through May and form clusters at the end of the stem. Many species store carbohydrate food in corms, solid underground stems that resemble bulbs, using this stored energy to grow in the spring.

There are three common species. Spring beauty, or Virginia spring beauty, has a pair of hairless, linear leaves, about 12.5 cm (about 5 in) long and 1.2 cm (0.5 in)

wide, which attach halfway up the stem; there may also be leaves at the base of the stem. The plant may have one or several stems 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) tall. The flowers are white or pink with dark pink stripes and are arranged in a loose spike 8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in) long.

 

Carolina spring beauty is similar to Virginia spring beauty, but its leaves are wider and have long leaf stems that attach to the main stem. Each flowerhead, or cluster, contains from 2 to 15 flowers.

Lanceleaf spring beauty has no leaves at the base; long, narrow leaves with three to six veins attach to the stem. The flowers are pink or white and may have yellow blotches. The petals are notched at the tip.

Scientific classification: Spring beauty belongs to the purslane family, Portulacacea. The scientific name for Virginia spring beauty is Claytonia virginica, Carolina spring beauty is Claytonia caroliniana, and lanceleaf spring beauty is Claytonia lanceolata.