Saxifraga bryoides (10)

RHS Plant Profile
mossy saxifrage

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Synonyms

Saxifraga aspera var. bryoides

Alpine Rockery

An evergreen perennial alpine, forming a low cushion of rosettes of small, incurved green leaves. In summer, slender stems bear small, single white flowers with yellow-orange dots at the base of the petals

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Saxifragaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Matforming
Genus
Saxifraga can be annuals, biennials, evergreen or herbaceous perennials, mostly mat-forming in habit, with simple or palmately lobed leaves and starry or rounded flowers which may be solitary of in panicles or cymes
Name Status
Correct
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Trachyphyllum saxifraga are a small group of mat-forming evergreen alpines with bristly edges and small, white or yellow flowers on short stems
Plant Range
Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but very well-drained, neutral to acidic soil in full sun or light shade. Thrives in areas with cooler summers. Flowering is improved with protection from heavy frosts, which can damage overwintering buds

Propagation

Propagate by detaching individual rosettes and rooting as cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Garden edging

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, slugs, vine weevil, and glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

Generally disease-free