Early Whitlow Grass

Early Whitlow Grass

Draba verna

Other names: Spring draba, Spring Whitlow Grass, Spring Whitlow Mustard, Common Whitlow Grass

Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Range: Widely dispersed around the world

Native: Introduced

Native Habitat: Meadows and disturbed habitats

Bloom Time: Early Spring

Notes:

This tiny flower is one of the first flowers to bloom in my local area. I can often find it blooming on my birthday in late April. It loves sandy soil – I first found it at two very sandy parking lots at local parks. Now that I know what to look for, I often find it in sandy spots in business lots around town. We get plenty of that after all the sanding and plowing in the winter.

These plants are tiny – it’s always a challenge getting good pictures of them. Their lifecycle is very short, they’re gone in a few weeks’ time.

This species is similar to the native Carolina draba (Draba reptans) which is native to southern New England.

Draba is from the Greek meaning sharp or bitter. Verna is the Latin for spring. Whitlow is a medical condition with an abscess in the soft tissue near a toenail or fingernail, and this plant was formerly used to treat that condition.