04/27/2026
Miner’s Lettuce - a native, naturally occurring plant found throughout the Pacific states.
Rather than treating it as a w**d, we allow it to grow and flourish here at Bowman Ranch during its season. It’s one of the quiet signs that spring has arrived, and just as importantly, it supports the local wildlife. Deer and rabbits are especially fond of it, and we value the life it brings to the land as much as the plant itself.
Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) carries a bit of living history. It earned its name during the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, when miners relied on this hardy green as a fresh food source in otherwise harsh and limited conditions. Rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, it helped prevent scurvy and kept many prospectors going through long seasons in the field. Long before that, Indigenous peoples across the West harvested and used miner’s lettuce as a staple in their diets, recognizing both its nutritional value and its dependable seasonal growth.
Today, it remains just as useful. Tender, mild, and slightly sweet, miner’s lettuce makes an excellent addition to fresh, backyard salads and can be enjoyed raw or lightly prepared. What some might overlook as a simple groundcover is, in truth, a resilient and historic plant that continues to serve both people and wildlife alike.
At Bowman Ranch, we believe you should know your food, where it comes from, how it’s grown, and the history behind it. There’s something important about stepping outside, seeing what the land provides, and understanding that food doesn’t begin on a store shelf, it begins in the soil. Plants like miner’s lettuce are a reminder that generations before us lived directly from the land, relying on what was available, local, and in season. That connection is something worth preserving.
Grow American. Eat American.
