Saxifraga granulata (15) | meadow saxifrage

Christopher Whitehouse

Other common names

bulbous saxifrage, first of May, mountain rocket, fair maids of France

Alpine Rockery Herbaceous Perennial

A clump-forming, summer-dormant perennial, to 35cm tall, with kidney-shaped, glossy, scallop-edged leaves up to 3cm long. Sticky, upright stems carry clusters of rounded, white flowers, around 1.5cm in diameter, in late spring

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, 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 Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade

Aspect: West–facing or East–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): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Saxifragaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
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: Saxifraga section saxifrages are mat-forming evergreen perennials with small, lobed leaves and 5-petalled white, pink, yellow or red flowers in small clusters on erect stems in late spring or early summer
Plant Range: Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moist but well-drained, humus-rich, neutral to alkaline soil in partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by division or by sowing bulbils detached from stems and roots in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Wildflower meadow
Low Maintenance

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

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

Diseases

Generally disease-free