Claytonia rubra
Red stemmed spring beauty
(c) Daniel Patterson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Montiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Claytonia rubra (Red stemmed spring beauty) is a native California herb in the Montiaceae family.
Red stemmed spring beauty is a California native perennial found in montane and subalpine regions at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces white to pink-white flowers 2 to 3.5 millimeters long in small clusters of 3 to 30 blooms. Growing with slender stems 1 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms low-growing clusters with distinctive reddish stems. Its basal leaves are 1 to 8 centimeters long, with elliptic to broadly triangular blades less than 2 centimeters wide, featuring truncate to wedge-shaped bases and generally obtuse tips. The plant produces tiny elliptic seeds 1 to 2 millimeters long that are shiny and smooth.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species.
Habitat and range
California counties: San Bernardino, Tulare, Santa Cruz, Butte, Calaveras, Fresno, Humboldt, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Napa, Plumas, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity, San Diego, Riverside, Tuolumne, Kern, Placer, Glenn, Shasta, Lake, Lassen, Nevada, Sutter, Alpine, Monterey
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 rubra native to California?
Yes. Claytonia rubra is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Claytonia rubra grow?
Claytonia rubra occurs in San Bernardino, Tulare, Santa Cruz, Butte, Calaveras, Fresno, Humboldt, Mariposa and other counties.
What plant family does Claytonia rubra belong to?
Claytonia rubra is in the Montiaceae family, genus Claytonia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.