Claytonia perfoliata, often called Miner’s Lettuce, Indian Lettuce or Winter Purslane, is instantly recognizable for its whimsical leaves that look like tiny green lily pads, each hosting a delicate spray of white flowers right in the center. This unusual form gives it a fairy-tale quality in the garden, making it as ornamental as it is edible.
 
A true North American native, Miner’s Lettuce has a rich history. During the California Gold Rush, miners foraged it as a lifesaving source of Vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Today, its tender, succulent leaves are still valued for their mild, refreshing flavor, delicious in salads, lightly sautéed, or simply enjoyed fresh from the garden.
 
Thriving in cool weather, Claytonia perfoliata is one of the earliest greens to appear in spring and self-sows generously once established. In food forests and permaculture gardens, it shines as a living groundcover, supports pollinators with its unusual blossoms, and reliably returns year after year with little care.
 
If you’re looking for a plant that blends beauty, history, flavor, and ecological value, Claytonia perfoliata is a gem, a native wild green with lily pad leaves that turn every bloom into a tiny centerpiece.
 
Technically an annual but re-seeds so easily that it feels like a perennial. Zones 3-11
 
When to sow based on zone:
Zones 3-5: Sow in fall before snow or very early spring as soon as the soil can be worked
Zones 6-7: Fall for a winter/early spring harvest or early spring
Zones 8-9: Fall through winter, plants will persist until late spring when heat sets in
Zones 10-11: Strictly a cool season crop, sow in late fall to mid winter or very early spring
 
This is for 100 seeds