Arends' Saxifrage

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Saxifraga arendsii - decorative perennial culture; a representative of the genus Saxifrage of the Saxifrag family. The species is represented by a group of artificially bred hybrids actively used in ornamental gardening in the early twentieth century. Ideal for decorating rocky gardens, including alpine slides and rockeries.

Characteristics of culture

Arends' saxifrage is a herbaceous evergreen or semi-evergreen plant with glossy, lobed, deeply dissected leaves, collected in dense rosettes. The leaves are equipped with flat wide petioles and can have a wide variety of colors and patterns. In the process of growth, saxifrage form thickets that outwardly resemble moss growing in forests.

The flowers are campanulate, five-membered, have a double perianth and a dark green calyx. The petals are separate, usually rounded, red, pink, purple, yellow, white, purple, etc. Fruits are two-celled capsules, containing large quantities of small seeds. Flowering lasts about a month, takes place in April - August (depending on the variety and climatic conditions.

Growing features

Prefers semi-shaded areas, can grow in the open sun, however, in this case, the plants develop more slowly and need frequent watering. Arends' saxifrage is classified as a moisture-loving crop; the lack of moisture affects the appearance of the plants. The species in question also has a negative attitude to excess moisture, often more and more often rots and dies. Soils for cultivation are preferably drained, permeable, neutral or slightly acidic, moderately fertile, without excess fertilizers.

Saxifrags grow quickly, after 3-5 years they need division and transplantation, otherwise dense carpets turn into a thin and unattractive mass. Arends' saxifrage propagates by cuttings or division. Cuttings are carried out after flowering. For rooting, cuttings are planted in containers filled with nutritious soil. This type of saxifrage is relatively winter-hardy, does not need shelter for the winter, although at a young age it is better to insulate the plants with dry foliage.

Varieties

Currently, there are many varieties of Arends saxifrage, differing in color of flowers and shape of foliage. The most common are considered to be:

* Bluttenteppich (Blutenteppich) - the variety is represented by plants up to 15 cm high with carmine-red or bright red flowers;

* Purpurmantel (Purpurmantel) - the variety is represented by plants 15-20 cm high with purple-pink flowers;

* Schneeteppich (Schneeteppich) - the variety is represented by small plants with snow-white flowers and dark green leaves.

* Flamingo (Flamingo) - the variety is represented by low plants with pink flowers (the color is similar to the birds of the same name).

Also popular are the varieties: Peter Pan, Triumph, Variegata, Weisser Zwerg.

Use in the garden

As already mentioned, saxifrage is great for decorating rocky gardens and plots. It can be used to decorate rockeries and rock gardens, planting in large groups. Of course, you can plant saxifrage in other flower beds, but without stones and cobblestones, the plant will look a little dull. The saxifrage seems to have been created for a rocky site, with its unusualness and variety of colors, it will emphasize the cold and nondescript stones that are used in landscape design. Also saxifrage can be used in curbs, combining different varieties. It is not forbidden to combine saxifrage with phlox, armeria, tiarella, heuchera, heycherella, undersized roses and violets.