Saxifraga cotyledon (8)

RHS Plant Profile
pyramidal saxifrage

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pyramidal saxifrage RHS

Other common names

great alpine rockfoil, greater evergreen saxifrage, silver plume

Synonyms

Saxifraga montavonensis

Alpine Rockery
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An evergreen, mat-forming perennial, to 30cm tall and wide, with large, flat rosettes of greyish-green, broadly-strap-shaped, toothed leaves up to 6cm long. In late spring and early summer, arching, conical panicles of cup-shaped white flowers appear which are sometimes marked with red inside

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

Chalk Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed
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)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Saxifragaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Clump forming
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

Ligulatae section saxifrages are evergreen perennials forming monocarpic rosettes, usually clustered, of narrowly strap-shaped or oblong, lime-encrusted leaves, with sprays of small white, pale yellow or pink flowers in late spring or early summer
Plant Range
Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, very well-drained, neutral or alkaline soil in full sun, or in a pot in an alpine house using 50:50 peat-free, loam-based compost and sharp grit

Propagation

Propagate by separating rosettes and rooting as cuttings in late spring or early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

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

Diseases

Generally disease-free