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Saxifragaceae
Saxifrage
Saxifraga × arendsii
Affection, sincerity, breakthrough.
- Family
- Saxifragaceae
- Genus
- Saxifraga
- Native to
- Garden hybrid (parents from European mountains)
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- Mossy ground-cover perennial
- Height
- 10–20 cm
- Sunlight
- Part shade
- Soil
- Sharply drained, gritty
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 4–7
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The name 'saxifrage' comes from the Latin saxum (rock) and frangere (to break) — the plants were thought to break stones, either because they grew in cracks or because they were used medicinally to break up kidney stones.
- There are over 400 species of saxifrage, ranging from miniature alpine cushions to bold leafy perennials of bog margins.
- Mossy saxifrages form dense carpets of bright green rosettes that look exactly like emerald moss for most of the year — until they erupt in clouds of starry flowers each spring.
- Some species, like Saxifraga paniculata, secrete tiny flecks of lime from special pores on their leaves, leaving silvery encrustations along the leaf edges.
- Saxifrages are beloved by alpine plant collectors and are a staple of British rock garden hobby clubs that have flourished for over a century.
Color meanings
Pink
Quiet love