Saxifrage is a perennial crop, also grown as an annual, since most of its varieties simply do not survive in especially harsh winter climatic conditions. The flower got its name for the ability to settle and quite successfully grow on infertile rocky areas, in crevices, at the foot of the mountains. The people call it gap-grass and attribute to it the “ability” to break rocks. The types of saxifrage are very diverse and each of them can find its place in a flower bed, in a garden or on an alpine hill.
Under natural conditions, about 400 species of this plant grow, but no more than 80 are cultivated in gardens and flower beds. Ornamental species and varieties of saxifrages are most widespread in latitudes with a temperate climate, since they feel best there.
The saxifrage flower, a photo of the varieties of which are given below, is a stunted plant that can form real decorative rugs in a flower bed:
The leaves of the plant can have a different shape and type of leaf surface. They can be leathery and thick, dense and fleshy, round or slightly elongated.
In their appearance, moss-like saxifrage and plant varieties with whole leaves are distinguished. As for their color, it varies from dark green to gray-green.
The flowers are small, collected in paniculate or racemose inflorescences. Depending on the variety of saxifrage, flowers can be white, pink, yellow, blue and even red.
Arends’ white saxifrage mossy: “Purple Carpet” and other varieties
This is a garden bryophyte hybrid, evergreen taproot, perennial, forming a dense leaf cushion about 10-15 cm high. The flower looks very beautiful and resembles soft “pillows” in its appearance.
The plant is distinguished by three or five lobed light green leaves and beautiful small white flowers. They are collected in loose brushes of 5-9 flowers each. The white saxifrage blooms especially abundantly in May-June, propagated by cuttings in June-July and by seeds for seedlings.
The most popular varieties of this hybrid are saxifrage:
“Purple carpet”.
«Purpurteppich».
«Schneeteppich».
«Dornroschen».
«Peter Pan».
Panicled saxifrage (saxifraga)
This type of plant is distinguished by a complex root system and creeping leaves that can grow from the root itself and form voluminous rosettes.
The leaves of the saxifrage femur are leathery, fleshy, rounded, having a velvety surface that is pleasant to the touch. On the leaves of this plant there is a grayish coating, as it is able to release lime on the surface of the leaves.
The saxifrage femur, the photo of which is presented below, begins to bloom at the end of spring:
The flowering period begins already in the last days of May and continues until the end of August. Flowers can be white, crimson, pink and yellow. The flower has five petals collected in a paniculate or umbrella inflorescence. At the end of the flowering period of the saxifrage panicled femur (approximately in September), the plant develops a box fruit containing a lot of seeds.
The saxifrage (saxifraga) is cold-resistant, used to decorate rocky hills and borders, along with other perennial flowering crops. Great for planting in dense shade in moist, well-drained soils. It is combined with blackcurrant, elderberry, edible honeysuckle.
Red saxifrage soddy: “Purpurmantel” and other varieties
Another very attractive species of this plant is Saxifraga caespitosa. Saxifrage soddy is a bryophyte plant that prefers rocky slopes for growth.
The bushes of this plant reach a height of only 5 cm, the height of the peduncles reaches 20 cm. Its leaves are small, collected in rosettes, the flowers also do not differ in large sizes and reach only 1 cm in diameter. They are collected in paniculate or thyroid inflorescences, blooming in late May or early June.
The most popular are the varieties of this flower, which are crossed with soddy and rose-like species of this flower:
Saxifrage “Purpurmantel” characterized by beautiful flowers of pink-purple color.
“Rose-Kenigen” – having beautiful pale pink inflorescences, very fluffy.
“Triumph” – saxifrage red and ruby red.
The photos of saxifrage species presented below clearly demonstrate the beauty of this beautiful and unpretentious plant:
Like other varieties of this flower, soddy varieties get along well on alpine slides and in rockeries. They tolerate shade and lack of moisture well.
Shadow saxifrage flower carpet
The flower of Saxifraga Umbrosa belongs to the shade-loving varieties of this plant. Saxifrage shadow is a whole-leaved evergreen perennial that forms thickets reaching a height of 20 cm.
Its leaves are distinguished by uneven edges and have an oval shape, they are spatulate, shiny, dark green, purple below, resistant to cold.
The flowering period falls on the middle of summer, the plant blooms with flower rosettes that rise on low peduncles up to 25 cm long. The flowers are small, white at the edges, and purple in the center.
In addition to flower stalks, short recumbent shoots, called stolons, also grow from the center of the rosette. They reach a length of 5-10 cm and have the beginnings of future rosettes at their ends. Stolon shoots live only one year, because in winter they simply die off like a strawberry mustache.
This type of plant is able to form very dense and dense thickets formed from many rosettes. However, the growth of thickets of the saxifrage flower carpet is very slow, therefore, very often the cover formed by rosettes of this flower consists of curtains separated from each other.
This flower looks especially good and grows under trees and among tall bushes, for example, among geraniums . The flower tolerates shade well, reproduction occurs vegetatively.
Fortune’s arctic saxifrage
Saxifraga fortunei is native to Sakhalin, Japan, the Korea Peninsula and the Kuril Islands. This is a perennial plant 10-20 cm high with a short rhizome structure.
The leaves are large, rounded, lobed, basal, located on long petioles and having teeth.
The saxifrage Arctic Fortune blooms with white openwork inflorescences-panicles, the diameter of one flower reaches 1 cm. The flowering period falls on August-September.
In Japan, Fortune nadresolopastnaya or Saxifraga fortunei var. is now very popular. incisolobata. But in the conditions of the middle zone, its cultivation has not yet been tested.
Purple saxifrage (Saxifraga purpurascen)
A flower such as purple saxifrage or Saxifraga purpurascen is very popular in the middle lane.
It is a summer-green herbaceous perennial with a short-rhizome-brush-root structure and rosette erect shoots. It reaches a height of 25 cm and has a pronounced anthocyanin color of petioles and stems.
The leaf blade of plants is kidney-shaped, almost round, reaches a diameter of 4 cm, along the edge it is crenate. The stem of the plant is leafless, the inflorescence consists of crimson flowers and is a sprawling panicle.
The flowering period of the plant falls in June-July, the fruits-boxes appear in August-September.
The plant will grow in the highlands, on rocks, screes, so it feels great on depleted soils ( on alpine hills and in mountain gardens).
Alpine snow saxifrage
The frost-resistant plant saxifrage snow alpine is very popular.
This is a ground cover perennial that looks perfect between other plants and on an alpine hill.
The plant reaches a height of 20 cm and forms a dense deciduous carpet, covered in spring with large star-shaped white flowers and creating a real “snow” carpet underfoot. Therefore, it is also often called the alpine saxifrage, which thrives well in humid and cold climates.
This plant looks good in combination with other undersized plants, such as low irises and sedums . Loves partial shade, although it can grow in the sun.
Saxifrage Flamingo, Purple Robe and Pink Carpet
Types and varieties of saxifrage, photos of which can be seen below are very diverse and colorful:
On sale you can find many varieties that can survive in any conditions. The most popular mixtures and hybrids of this family are the crops below.
Flamingo saxifrage is a flowering culture that forms a bright carpet of many small flowers. Blooms continuously for 1.0-1.5 months. Propagated by sowing seeds for seedlings.
Saxifrage Purple mantle – a plant up to 15 cm high, does not need special care and gives gardeners a minimum of problems, therefore it is widespread everywhere. Such a flower will definitely take its rightful place in any flower arrangement and on a rocky hill.
Saxifrage Pink carpet is a frost-resistant ground cover perennial flower. It looks perfect on an alpine hill. The plant reaches a height of up to 20cm. The flowers of the pink saxifrage are large, star-shaped, creating a dense carpet.
Saxifrage young, granular and round-leaved
The saxifrage was young – a plant with a beautiful rosette of dense leaves, resembling a rose in its shape. It is often called a stone rose, due to the special shape of the leaves, the color of which can be different. The plant looks great in the garden and in the flower bed in combination with other undersized flowers.
The granular saxifrage is a herbaceous perennial plant that forms a tuber at the base of the root with several small nodules. They develop in the axils of the lower leaves. These formed bulbs are used to propagate the flower.
Saxifrage round-leaved – the flower reaches a height of 40 centimeters and has round petiole leaves that are collected in a rosette. The plant blooms in June, fruits appear in autumn.
Weaving saxifrage, marsh and reed saxifrage
Weaving saxifrage is a perennial herbaceous plant that got its name from its long mustache shoots. They have leaf sockets at the ends.
The marsh saxifrage is a stunted plant up to 20 centimeters in height. Its flowers are yellow, there is no basal rosette of leaves. The plant blooms with white flowers.
Reed saxifrage is a perennial plant, characterized by beautiful leaves with a white edge, which are collected in a rosette. The flowers are white, flowering period July-August.
If you are going to purchase the seeds of this beautiful unpretentious plant to decorate your garden, flower bed or rockery, you need to familiarize yourself with the names of saxifrage species and photos of plants:
This will help you make the right choice and a beautiful composition.