Flower profile

Carolina springbeauty

Claytonia caroliniana

Native in the lower 48

Carolina springbeauty is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

21states

2of our state lists

11,101U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Vermont, West Virginia

Quick look

Claytonia caroliniana, the Carolina springbeauty, is an herbaceous perennial in the family Montiaceae. It was formerly placed in the Portulacaceae. Its native range is eastern and central North America. It is most commonly found in the New England area of the United States but its habitat extends from Ontario and a northern limit in the Cape Anguille Mountains of Newfoundland and south to Alabama.
From Wikipedia's article Claytonia caroliniana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Montiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Vermont and West Virginia. ^NatureServe
In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In West Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,600 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #19 among the 110 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 611 research-grade sightings of it in West Virginia, ranking #52 among the 110 flowers on our West Virginia list. ^iNaturalist

Carolina springbeauty gift ideas

Handmade carolina springbeauty gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Carolina springbeauty art print
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Carolina springbeauty greeting card
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Carolina springbeauty mug
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Carolina springbeauty earrings
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Carolina springbeauty embroidery pattern
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Carolina springbeauty sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,071 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Vermont	Native	April–May	2,600
West Virginia	Native	March–April	611

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The tuberous roots can be eaten like potatoes.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Carolina springbeauty in 21 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

West Virginia counties with USDA records: Boone, Braxton, Calhoun, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Hancock, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monongalia, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Upshur, Wayne, Wyoming.

More Vermont flowers

Virginia springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

Native

🌼 Blooms: March–May

Red trillium

Trillium erectum

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: April–May

Yellow trout lily

Erythronium americanum

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLCA.
iNaturalist, Claytonia caroliniana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Claytonia caroliniana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Claytonia caroliniana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Laura J. Costello via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.