Whitlow-Grass

Draba verna

From a small rosette of basal leaves, each about 1 inch long and oval or lance-shaped, rises a threadlike stem with no leaves, perhaps 4 inches long. Near the top this branches to support tiny white flowers of four deeply-cleft petals; each flower is no more than 1/8 inch across, so the plant is unobtrusive and often not even noticed in passing. After blooming, small oval-pointed seeds form along the stem, which drop off and blow around to spread the plant; it often forms colonies (see photo, left) because the seeds drop near the parent plant and often don't travel far. Basal leaves tend to be slightly fuzzy.

A member of the Mustard family, hence having four petals in the flowers.  

Under 6 inches, sun - partial sun.

Spring (March-May).

  Note tiny size and deeply cleft petals of flowers, and oval, pointed seeds.

23 April 2021.

Whitlow-Grass, 23 April 2021.