Saxifraga occidentalis

Common Names

Western Saxifrage, Redwool Saxifrage, Mountain Saxifrage

Summary

Western saxifrage, Micranthes occidentalis, is a western North American perennial with a basal rosette of elliptic to ovate leaves (1–6 cm long) that are dentate; flowering stems rise 3–30 cm, are glandular-hairy, and bear two or more glomerules in thyrses of white to pale pink flowers with a cup-shaped calyx, five white petals about 2–3 mm long, and purple-tipped, stipitate-glandular bracts; the fruit is a capsule 3–5 mm long; the plant is rhizomatous and may form bulblets; it grows on rocky outcrops and vernally moist stony soils in grasslands, meadows, and alpine zones from 500–4000 m.

Native to Alaska, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan) and western North America (Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming), it occurs on wet, rocky or gravelly slopes and in moist to dry alpine meadows and flushes; it is typically found from valleys to high elevations, often on rocky outcrops and vernally moist soils; growth is rhizomatous, sometimes mat-forming, with basal leaves; inflorescences are glandular and bear white to pale pink flowers in spring to summer, with 10–30+ flowers per inflorescence and capsules as fruit; it can form bulblets on roots.

Lifecycle

Annual, Biennial, and Perennial

Height

3-12 inches

Soil Type

Gravelly, rocky, or stony soil on wet, rocky slopes or in vernally moist grasslands and meadows

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring to Fall

Foliage Color

Reddish-brown

Growth Rate

Perennial

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Rhizome-based vegetative propagation, bulblet formation