How to grow claytonia (miner's lettuce)
Family Montiaceae. Hardy to USDA hardiness zone 4a+ (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Part shade. Ready in 40-60 days.
Sun
Part shade
Spacing
4-6 in
Days to harvest
40-60 days
Hardiness
Zone 4a+
What growers actually recorded
Loading zone 7b results…
When to plant claytonia (miner's lettuce)
- Direct sow: ~-6 weeks after last frost.
Companion plants for claytonia (miner's lettuce)
Plant with: Lettuce, Spinach.
Common pests & problems
Rarely bothered.
Grower's tip
Thrives in shade where lettuce struggles; let a few plants go to seed for a self-sustaining patch.
When to plant claytonia (miner's lettuce) in your zone
Free month-by-month sowing and transplanting lists, built from frost dates for your USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone.
Soil & water for claytonia (miner's lettuce)
Soil & pH
6.0-7.0: near neutral
Loose, well-drained loam with 3-5% organic matter.
Compost 2 in worked into the top 6 in of soil each spring.
Watering
1 in / week
Deep drip at the base twice a week beats a daily shallow sprinkle.
Consistent moisture prevents most crop problems.
Knowing when to harvest
- Harvest whole rosettes or individual leaves once the distinctive round leaf and small central flower cluster form, at 2-4 in tall.
- One of the most cold-hardy salad greens; it can be cut from under snow cover in many climates.
- Regrowth after cutting is reliable through cool weather, giving repeated harvests over winter and early spring.
Storing & keeping
Refrigerate unwashed in a perforated bag at 32-40°F for about a week; delicate but holds slightly better than lettuce in cold storage. Best eaten fresh; not suited to freezing.
What to expect
Per plant: A few ounces per rosette, harvested repeatedly through a cool season
Troubleshooting claytonia (miner's lettuce)
Bolts and turns bitter as days lengthen
Likely cause: Warming temperatures and increasing daylight in spring
What to do: Treat claytonia as a fall-through-winter crop in mild climates and harvest heavily before the spring warm-up.
Poor germination in warm soil
Likely cause: Seed requires cool temperatures to germinate reliably
What to do: Sow in fall or very early spring when soil is still cool, below 65°F.
Varieties worth growing
Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
The common species sold and grown, named for its historical use by California gold miners as a vitamin C source.
Growing claytonia (miner's lettuce) in containers
6 in shallow pot or window box; well suited to cold frames and unheated container growing through winter.
Nutrition
A meaningful source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber when eaten fresh.
Common questions
Why is claytonia called miner's lettuce?
California gold miners reportedly ate it to prevent scurvy, since it is notably high in vitamin C and grows wild through the cool, wet season.
How cold-hardy is it really?
It survives hard frosts and light snow cover, making it one of the few salad greens that can be harvested outdoors through winter in many temperate climates.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Zone assignment and the 30-year normals behind every cold-hardiness figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Frost dates, growing-season length, and the probability bands on both.
- Cornell, UMN, and UC Davis Cooperative Extension crop guides. Spacing, days to maturity, soil pH targets, and per-plant yield ranges.
- USDA FSIS / FDA Produce Safety guidance. Wash, cure, and cold-storage handling numbers.
Ranges are regional guidance, not a promise for your yard. Your own logged results always override the published range.