When does Claytonia perfoliata bloom?

It typically flowers from April through June, producing small white blooms held above its rounded, cupped leaves.

What pollinators visit Claytonia perfoliata?

Bees and beetles are the main pollinators recorded visiting its flowers.

What growing conditions suit Claytonia perfoliata best?

It does well in part shade with medium moisture, often growing along shaded slopes, streambanks and disturbed soil in cooler months.

Is Claytonia perfoliata a shrub or a groundcover-type plant?

It is a soft-stemmed forb, not a woody shrub, forming low rosettes with a distinctive round leaf that wraps around the flower stalk.

Is Cuban-spinach toxic to livestock?

The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Cuban-spinach as toxic to livestock.

Is Cuban-spinach HOA-friendly?

Cuban-spinach takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Cuban-spinach

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Claytonia perfoliata

Last reviewed: August 2026

Claytonia perfoliata is a low, spring-blooming forb found on moist banks, woodland edges and rocky slopes across the western United States, flowering from April through June with small white blossoms visited by bees and beetles.

Toxicity unknown

Cuban-spinach (Claytonia perfoliata) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Cuban-spinach as toxic to livestock.

Light

part shade

Water

medium

Size

4"–12" H × 4"–8" W

Bloom

Apr, May, Jun

Native to

AZ, CA, CO, ID and 9 more states

Pollinators

bees, beetles

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Browse plants for this ecoregion

Coast Range Puget Lowland Marine West Coast Forest Northwestern Forested Mountains Sierra Nevada Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains Central California Valley Southern California Mountains North American Deserts Central Basin and Range Mojave Basin and Range Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Northwestern Great Plains Madrean Archipelago Sonoran Basin and Range Southern California/Northern Baja Coast

Cuban-spinach is a low-growing annual wildflower that forms small rosettes of distinctive rounded leaves. It produces tiny white or pink flowers from April through June and thrives in partial shade with moderate moisture. This cool-season plant typically completes its life cycle by mid-summer.

Growing Cuban-spinach

Grow Cuban-spinach in part shade and medium water. Mature plants reach 4 to 12 inches tall and spread 4 to 8 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Cuban-spinach takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Dies back completely by mid-summer leaving bare spots
Small stature and wild appearance don't meet typical landscaping expectations
Annual nature requires replanting or self-seeding which can appear unmanaged

Wildlife value

The small flowers attract bees and beetles during the spring blooming period. As an annual, it provides relatively brief but valuable early-season nectar when few other plants are flowering.

Common questions

When does Claytonia perfoliata bloom?: It typically flowers from April through June, producing small white blooms held above its rounded, cupped leaves.
What pollinators visit Claytonia perfoliata?: Bees and beetles are the main pollinators recorded visiting its flowers.
What growing conditions suit Claytonia perfoliata best?: It does well in part shade with medium moisture, often growing along shaded slopes, streambanks and disturbed soil in cooler months.
Is Claytonia perfoliata a shrub or a groundcover-type plant?: It is a soft-stemmed forb, not a woody shrub, forming low rosettes with a distinctive round leaf that wraps around the flower stalk.
Is Cuban-spinach toxic to livestock?: The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Cuban-spinach as toxic to livestock.
Is Cuban-spinach HOA-friendly?: Cuban-spinach takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

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