Claytonia is so eager to self-seed that the main seed-saving challenge isn't crossing risk at all -- it's catching the tiny pods before they pop open and scatter seed on their own, which they do readily and quickly once ripe.
New to terms like isolation distance or outcrossing? See the Seed-Saving Glossary.
Seed-Saving Difficulty
✓
Safe to Save
Very low crossing risk.
How It's Pollinated
Self-pollinating, with some insect visitation
(Very low crossing risk)
Scientific name: Claytonia perfoliata
Domestic Crops It Can Cross With
- Minimal crossing between claytonia plants
Wild Relatives & Feral Species
- No significant wild relatives in most home garden regions -- though claytonia itself self-seeds freely and can naturalise
Separation Distances Required
Minimum: Not usually needed
Recommended: A few metres as good practice
Strict: Not usually needed
Seed-Saving Strategies
- Let plants bolt and flower -- claytonia runs to seed quickly in warm weather
- Seed pods dry and pop open readily, often self-sowing before you can collect them
- Check plants every day or two once flowering to catch seed before it scatters
- Store dry -- viable 2-3 years