Claytonia peirsonii
Peirson's spring beauty
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Montiaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Claytonia peirsonii (Peirson's spring beauty) is a native California perennial in the Montiaceae family.
Peirson's spring beauty is a California native perennial found in rocky or sandy habitats at elevations of 300 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces white to light pink flowers 6.5 to 11 millimeters long, often with faint pink veining and entire to slightly notched tips. Growing with erect stems 2.5 to 18 centimeters tall, it develops a small spheric tuberous root 0.3 to 2.5 centimeters wide, sometimes narrowed at the tip where stems emerge. Its leaves are generally dark green on top and often beet-red underneath, creating a subtle color contrast. Seeds are smooth to slightly bumpy, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters in size.
How to tell it apart
vs Montia: Claytonia has just 2 stem leaves opposite or fused; Montia has multiple stem leaves arranged alternately.; vs Stellaria: Claytonia has 2 broad stem leaves and 5 petals; Stellaria has many narrow opposite leaves and deeply notched petals.; vs Hydrocotyle: Claytonia has 5-petaled flowers above paired stem leaves; Hydrocotyle has round shield-like leaves and tiny flower clusters.; vs Lewisia: Claytonia has thin leaves on upright stems in moist areas; Lewisia forms succulent rosettes on rocky cliffs.; vs Dichondra: Claytonia has upright stems with 5-petaled flowers; Dichondra is a creeping plant with kidney-shaped leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Claytonia peirsonii native to California?
Yes. Claytonia peirsonii is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Claytonia peirsonii belong to?
Claytonia peirsonii is in the Montiaceae family, genus Claytonia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Claytonia peirsonii subsp. bernardinus — San bernardino spring beauty
- Claytonia peirsonii subsp. californacis — Furnace spring beauty
- Claytonia peirsonii subsp. peirsonii — Peirson's spring beauty
- Claytonia peirsonii subsp. yorkii — York's spring beauty
- Claytonia perfoliata — Rooreh
- Claytonia perfoliata subsp. intermontana
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.