Claytonia perfoliata, Miner's lettuce seed
A spring annual with edible leaves. Provides quick groundcover in cool, shady areas. Reseeds easily. Covers 1 sq ft.
From Northwest Meadowscapes.
Miner’s lettuce is a succulent springtime annual reaching up to about 1-foot in height with interesting paired leaves that conjoin around the stem to resemble saucer-shaped foliage with small white to pink flowers.
More than that, miner’s lettuce is a famed wild vegetable that is easy to grow, easy to identify, and easy to integrate into meals – great raw or cooked -- it is excellent in salads, sandwiches, in miso, or sushi.
While native across western North America (from Canada to Mexico), miner’s lettuce is adaptable as a garden vegetable almost anywhere. In wild settings, it prefers cool, damp locations with fertile soil. It can tolerate full sun in good, damp soil, but it is generally more prolific with some shade, and maintains better flavor. Surprisingly, deer seem to ignore miner’s lettuce in our experience.
Sow miner’s lettuce into forest clearings, or in shady areas of your landscape to create a lush spring groundcover. Or, plant it in the vegetable garden with organic-matter rich soils and ample water. Fall seeding is great for coastal areas and mild climates. In cold climates with prolonged freezing winters, it is best planted in later winter or very early spring to take advantage of some chilling temperatures and snowmelt.
How to Use Your Cover Crop & Native Seed Packets
Each seed packet is measured to cover 25 sq ft or 100 sq ft, depending on the size you chose.
Sowing Instructions
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When to sow: Fall is ideal in Portland. The soil is still warm for germination, and fall rains keep seedlings watered. Some seeds (like meadowfoam or clovers) can also be spring-sown.
How to sow:
- Rake the soil lightly to create good seed-to-soil contact.
- Scatter the contents of the packet evenly over the area (don’t worry about perfect spacing).
- Gently press or rake seeds in so they make contact with the soil. Do not bury deeply — most native and cover crop seeds need light to germinate.
- Water: Fall rains usually do the job, but water lightly if the weather turns dry.
What to Expect
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Traditional Cover Crops (rye, peas, fava, daikon, crimson clover, buckwheat, mustard): Grow quickly, protect soil, and build fertility. In spring, chop them down or mow before they set seed. Some (like rye) can also be crimped into a mulch.
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Living Mulches (red fescue, dwarf yarrow, creeping thyme, low clovers): These stay low and provide long-term weed suppression and ground cover. Shear lightly as needed, but they don’t require replanting every year.
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Pollinator Wildflowers (Clarkia, poppy, gilia, flax, meadowfoam, coneflower, blanketflower): Not classic cover crops, but they add beauty and attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Many reseed naturally.
Spring & Summer Management
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Chop-and-drop: Cut plants at the base and leave them as mulch (peas, fava, clovers).
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Mow: Use on ryegrass or cereals to turn them into quick mulch.
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Crimp: Flatten tall rye or grains at flowering to create a long-lasting weed barrier.
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Shear perennials: Yarrow, thyme, and sedges can be trimmed back after bloom.
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Self-seeders: Flowers like poppy, clarkia, and meadowfoam will often reseed themselves. Leave some seed heads if you want them back next year.
Quick Tips
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Cover crops = soil builders.
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Living mulches = weed suppressors.
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Wildflowers = pollinator magnets.
Tulle or row cover can protect young seedlings from birds and slugs until established.
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