Saxifrage is an amazing groundcover perennial from the Saxifrage family. It is able to survive and bloom in conditions that are unsuitable for many living organisms. Saxifrages can be found at the foot of the mountains, on rocks and rocky embankments. It got its name for its ability to settle in the smallest cracks and gradually destroy the stone with its roots. Also, the plant is called "gap-grass." In nature, it grows in the temperate climate of the entire Northern Hemisphere and is successfully cultivated in gardens as a groundcover.
Botanical Description
Saxifrage is a rhizome plant 5-70 cm high. They have long creeping stems. The plant is nourished by thin, branched roots. They are at the base of the processes, and also form in the internodes of shoots in contact with the ground. As a result, loose sod grows very quickly.
Petiole leaves are collected in a basal rosette. They vary greatly in some species. The fleshy or leathery sheet plate may have a variety of shapes (oval, heart-shaped, diamond-shaped, cirrus). There are smooth or slightly pubescent leaves. They are painted dark green, silver, bluish or bluish. The leaves are gradually covered with white coating, it is especially noticeable at the edges. In fact, these are calcareous deposits that are secreted by the plant itself.
In May-August, the saxifrage is covered with small flowers. Corolla of the correct shape on vertical arrows up to 20 cm long are collected in loose panicles. They consist of five petals with a pointed edge, so they resemble a star or a wide open bell. The flowers are most often painted white, but there are yellow, pink and red. They exude a subtle pleasant aroma.
Saxifrage is pollinated by insects, but also prone to self-pollination with the help of wind. In September, fruits are tied - multi-seeded boxes with dark small oblong-shaped seeds.
Species diversity
The genus of saxifrage is very diverse. It has more than 450 species.
Arenda Saxifrages. Plants form dense bright green sods up to 20 cm high. Small openwork leaflets are divided into narrow strips. In May-June, miniature star-shaped flowers bloom. Plants tolerate even severe frosts. Varieties:
- Flamingo - blooms with pale pink buds;
- White carpet - loose panicle inflorescences with white bells up to 1 cm in diameter bloom over a low dark green shoot;
- Purple carpet - flower stalks and the flowers themselves are painted in burgundy or purple, and the core of the bud is yellow.
The saxifrage is turfy. The variety blooms very little, but differs in dense gray-green turfs that can grow even on slightly acidic soil. Varieties:
- Triumph - in June covered with red flowers;
- Rose Kenigen - blossoms bright pink delicate inflorescences.
Saxifraga paniculata. A herbaceous perennial 4-8 cm high forms beautiful symmetrical rosettes of fleshy leaflets with serrated edges. Foliage is painted in gray-green or bluish-green color. Paniculate inflorescences of yellow, red or white colors bloom from the center of the outlet on a long arrow.
The saxifrage is superfine. Dense dark green thickets form pillows 30-60 cm high. Creeping stems quickly spread over long distances. In June, quite large flowers bloom with five rounded petals. When opened, they are colored pink, but gradually become purple.
The saxifrage is shadow. Shade-loving plant up to 20 cm high with whole evergreen leaves of saturated tones. Oval leaflets with uneven edges underneath are covered with purple stains. In July panicle inflorescences with white small flowers bloom above leaf rosettes. Their core is purple.
The saxifrage is mossy. Creeping branched shoots are very densely covered with bright green foliage. The edges of oblong leaflets are cut into thin strips, so a dense pillow resembles a thicket of moss. In summer, yellow-white flowers bloom on peduncles up to 6 cm long.
The saxifrage is round-leaved. The groundcover forms a thick green carpet. It is covered with petiole rounded leaves. In early summer, white flowers with purple dots on the petals bloom on arrows up to 40 cm long. Shade-hardy and frost-resistant plants.
Growing saxifrage from seeds
Saxifrage seeds remain germinated for up to three years. Before sowing, they must be stratified. For this, seeds mixed with sand are placed in the refrigerator for 15-20 days. First they are sown for seedlings. In March, containers with a mixture of greenhouse soil and sand are being prepared. The soil is scalded, and the smallest seeds mixed with sand are scattered on the surface. They do not need to be buried. Crops are sprayed and covered with a transparent cover.
Sprouts appear after 1-2 weeks. The grown seedlings with 2-4 leaves dive in separate peat pots. In May, seedlings begin to be taken out in the afternoon for hardening. Saxifrages are transplanted into open ground in early June. It intensely increases the shoots, but only blooms next summer.
Vegetative propagation
Creeping shoots themselves take root. Roots are formed in the axils of the leaves in contact with the ground. It is enough to cut off the rooted shoot from the mother plant and, with a lump of earth, carefully transplant it to a new place. Honestly on the stems, daughter sockets are formed even without contact with the ground. They grow aerial roots. In the spring, the shoot is cut off and planted in open ground.
Shoots 5-10 cm long are cut into cuttings in the summer. They can be rooted in water or loose sand and peat soil. In autumn, a full-fledged small plant is obtained, but it is not yet ready for wintering in the garden. It is grown indoors and only next spring transplanted into the street.
Planting and care at home
Saxifrages are very tenacious and unpretentious plants. They are grown in open ground, and also used as a room flower. Plants develop better in well-lit areas or in partial shade. Shallow pits are prepared for seedlings in the garden at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. The saxifrage is undemanding to the composition of the soil, but prefers loose, well-drained substrates with a slightly alkaline reaction. Dig the soil before planting with slaked lime, gravel, sand and peat.
Indoor flowers are planted 2-3 plants together to get a denser bush. Transplant them as necessary, when the flower becomes closely in the pot. The capacity is selected shallow, but quite wide. Pebbles, broken brick or expanded clay are necessarily poured into the bottom with a thick layer.
During active growth, the optimum temperature for a saxifrage is + 20 ... + 25 ° C. For the winter it is lowered to + 12 ... + 15 ° C. Variegated varieties are not recommended cooling below + 15 ... + 18 ° C. If indoor flowers are kept warm in winter, additional illumination is necessary, otherwise the stems will stretch very much.
The saxifrage feels best with high humidity, so sods need to be periodically sprayed. Watering is done by sprinkling. It is necessary to moisten the soil with care so that the water does not stagnate at the roots, and the top layer has time to dry out. The saxifrage covers the entire soil, so weed is not necessary to weed near it. It also successfully suppresses weeds.
In spring and summer, saxifrage thickets are fertilized twice a month. Usually alternate organics with mineral complexes. In winter, top dressing is continued, but they are carried out less frequently (every 1.5-2 months).
The plant hibernates in a temperate climate without shelter. Even if some of the shoots freeze during snowless harsh winters, young shoots will emerge from growth points in early spring and close bald spots on the ground. Peduncles live only one year and dry in the fall.
Indoor flowers are cut in half in the spring in order to preserve the decorative bush for longer. But in any case, after 5-6 years, the plant needs to be rejuvenated, since the bases of the shoots are very stretched and exposed.
Possible difficulties
With excessive dampness and stagnation of water, the saxifrage is affected by powdery mildew and rust. Mold spots may also appear on the leaves. To prevent such diseases, it is necessary to keep plants in a drier room and limit watering. Damaged leaves and shoots are cut off, and the remaining parts are treated with "copper sulfate" or fungicides.
Sometimes spider mites, worms and aphids settle in the thickets. They disappear quickly enough after treatment with an insecticide ("Aktara", "Pyrimor") or a soap solution.
Using Saxifrages
A pale green carpet, over which pink and white flowers on long stems rise like artificial ones, is suitable for landscaping rockeries, alpine hills and decorating masonry. Saxifrages easily decorate voids and adorn borders. It is also used in indoor gardening and as an ampel plant. Partners for saxifrage can be phlox, tiarella, lingonberry or Chinese gentian.
It is known to use saxifrage as a medicine. Its leaves contain a large number of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, organic acids and coumarins. Decoctions are taken as anti-inflammatory, anti-febrile and analgesic. With their help they treat bronchitis, tonsillitis, gout, hemorrhoids, purulent rashes and skin ulcers.
