Some folks consider these delicate spring wildflowers to be weeds because they flourish in older, established neighborhoods and carpet the ground in spring. I love them because it looks like a spring beauty winter when the yards are all white. I love them for their use in a woodland wildflower garden because they can act as a "filler" between some of the larger, and more showy species. These gems, unique in the Purslane family, grow about 3" tall and have long, linear like leaves and a drooping cluster of flowers at the top that bears 1/2" wide flowers with 5 petals, tinged with varying amounts of red stripping, The 5 anthers are also quite showy and vary from light pink to hot pink. This species reseeds very easily and can form large colonies but they stay in flower for about a month which makes them a desirable woodland garden plant. They are pollinated by bees and the roots and corms have a sweet potato taste and are quite tasty. The plant is named for John Clayton, a famous Virginia botanist.
This is one of my favorite and most looked for spring wildflowers. I had no idea that some people consider it a weed - what a lot of nonsense. I also didn't know that it was named for John Clayton. I didn't have nearly enough of this beautiful wildflower in my own garden, so I bought seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery some time ago and they are just beginning to germinate. I can't wait to have this "weed" all over the place.
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