# Small-Leaved Blinks (*montia parvifolia*) Small-Leaved Blinks are delightful little plants with tiny, green leaves that are perfect for young explorers to discover! They love growing in shady spots and can often be found near streams and moist areas. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Moist, shady areas such as forests and near streams. - **Also known as:** Blinks, Little Leaf Blinks, Montia ![Small-Leaved Blinks](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Montia_parvifolia_1478.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montia_parvifolia_1478.JPG) ## Appearance The Small-Leaved Blinks is a low-growing plant featuring numerous tiny, bright green, oval-shaped leaves that often form dense, succulent mats. Its delicate white or pale pink flowers, each with five petals, cluster at the stem tips, creating a dainty, 'blinking' appearance distinct from similar groundcovers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Montiaceae - **Genus:** Montia ## Interesting facts - Despite its size, its flowers often have a faint, sweet smell that attracts tiny pollinators! - Indigenous peoples have historically eaten its fresh leaves as a healthy spring tonic! - Its tiny seeds can stay hidden in the soil for years, waiting for the perfect conditions! - Some people call it 'Miner's Lettuce' because it was eaten by gold miners for vitamins! ## Special abilities - **Carpet Weaver:** Small-Leaved Blinks can quickly spread its slender stems and root at nodes, forming a dense green carpet that helps it outcompete other small plants. - **Nutrient Powerhouse:** Small-Leaved Blinks has edible leaves packed with vitamins, allowing it to become a vital, early spring food source for animals and humans. - **Shade Seeker:** Small-Leaved Blinks has small, somewhat succulent leaves that help it store water and thrive in damp, shady spots where many plants struggle. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-20 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring_summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — helps spread pollen between plants - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — deer browse on its leaves - **Eats:** [Deer mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — feeds on its small seeds ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Small-Leaved Blinks? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Small-Leaved Blinks? 5-20 cm ### How wide does Small-Leaved Blinks spread? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Small-Leaved Blinks? 0.2-0.5 cm ### When does Small-Leaved Blinks bloom? Spring_summer ### Is Small-Leaved Blinks edible? Yes ### Is Small-Leaved Blinks toxic? None ### What is Small-Leaved Blinks's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dunsmuir-botanical-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Portland Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/portland-aquarium) — Oregon, US · Zoo - [Mount Wells Regional Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-wells-regional-park) — British Columbia, CA · Park - [Sooke Potholes Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sooke-potholes-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Small-Leaved Blinks](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/small-leaved-blinks) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Small-Leaved Blinks: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/small-leaved-blinks)