Log in or sign up

Saxifraga

Common name: Saxifrage · Rockfoil

Saxifraga is a genus of roughly 440 species of mostly alpine and mountain perennials in the saxifrage family, native to the mountains of the Northern Hemisphere. Most form neat rosettes, tufts, or mossy cushions of small leaves, sending up airy sprays of white, pink, red, or yellow flowers in spring and early summer. The Latin name means 'stone-breaker', a nod to their habit of rooting in rock crevices. They are classic rock garden, alpine trough, and crevice plants, and one species, S. stolonifera, is a popular houseplant.

Care summary

Sun Full sun to partial shade; give mossy types shade from hot afternoon sun
Water Keep evenly moist in growth; never waterlogged, especially in winter
Soil Gritty, sharply drained mix; encrusted types prefer limestone chips, mossy types humus-rich soil
Hardiness Zones 3–8
Mature height 5–60 cm (2–24 in)
Pet safe Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs; S. stolonifera is ASPCA-listed non-toxic
Propagation By division, rosette offsets, or seed in spring

Fun facts

  • The name Saxifraga comes from Latin saxum (rock) and frangere (to break) — 'stone-breaker' — because the plants appear to split the rocks they grow on.
  • Silver or encrusted saxifrages exude lime through pores on their leaf margins, building up the chalky crust that gives the rosettes their metallic look.
  • Purple saxifrage (S. oppositifolia) is one of the first alpine plants to bloom after snowmelt and grows farther north than almost any other flowering plant.
  • Saxifraga stolonifera, the strawberry begonia, is neither a strawberry nor a begonia — its runners just look like strawberry stolons.

Common problems

    • Plant in gritty, sharply drained soil
    • Top-dress rosettes with gravel
    • Site away from winter waterlogging
    • Squash colonies by hand early
    • Spray with dilute soapy water
    • Encourage predatory insects nearby
    • Pick off slugs by hand at dusk
    • Set beer traps near affected plants
    • Apply nematodes against vine weevil larvae
    • Mulch with sharp grit to deter slugs
    • Replant young offsets before old rosettes die
    • Divide and reset fresh rosettes annually
    • Root small rosette cuttings in gritty compost