Plant Details

Claytonia perfoliata, Montia perfoliata

Miner's Lettuce

Back

Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Claytonia perfoliata, Montia perfoliata.

Use this plant

Log in to add this plant to your recipes.

Log in

Common names

4 names · 3 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Miner's Lettuce
Other languages (2)
Dutch
  • kleine winterpostelein
  • Winterpostelein
French
  • Claytonie perfoliée
Sources & name notes

Names recorded in our plant catalogue, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

General information

Scientific name: Claytonia perfoliata, Montia perfoliata
Accepted name (Kew): Claytonia perfoliata View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited taxonomic treatment. Botanical references may use alternative names.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Montiaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Claytonia (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Miner's Lettuce

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.20 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 6-9
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Root
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(1)
Functions:
Ground cover

Description

Leaves - raw or cooked. These leaves have a fairly neutral taste and a slightly slimy texture, making them ideal for salads. Young leaves are the tastiest. Older leaves can become bitter, especially in the summer or if the plant grows in a hot, dry place. Although the leaves are small, they are abundant and easy to pick. Stems and flowers - raw. These can be a nice addition to salads. Roots - raw. Although harvesting the small roots is labor-intensive, the cooked and peeled roots taste like chestnuts. There are reports suggesting that the plant has a fine root system, which might render the above report incorrect.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/03
Harvest ends: 31/05

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: WCVP version 16, wcvp_names.csv: Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd., name ID 2725205, row 773850; Montia perfoliata (Donn ex Willd.) Howell, name ID 2508959, row 1347606
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1347613; name ID 2724990; Claytonia L.. Family column.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.