Saxifraga 'Ice Colours Appleblossom' (Mossy Saxifrage) – Hardy Evergreen Alpine (Set of 3 or 6)

Saxifraga 'Ice Colours Appleblossom' is a mossy saxifrage that forms a tight evergreen cushion and covers it in soft appleblossom-pink flowers in spring.

This is one of the mossy group of saxifrages, with finely divided bright green rosettes that knit together into a dense, moss-like mound 10 to 15 cm high. The flowers appear in profusion from March to May, held just above the cushion, and bees visit them. The foliage stays green all year, so it gives ground cover and a neat edge long after the flowers have gone.

Mossy saxifrages want cool, humus-rich soil with sharp drainage, and some shelter from hot afternoon sun; morning sun with light afternoon shade is ideal, and full sun is fine in cooler gardens where the soil stays moist. Avoid heavy, waterlogged ground, which rots the crown in winter; a top dressing of grit around the plant helps. It suits rockeries, alpine troughs, stone walls, paving gaps, containers and the front of a border, and copes by the sea given shelter from salt wind. Trim off spent flower stems after flowering and divide congested clumps every few years. Fully hardy and very low maintenance once settled.

Supplied as a set of three or six well-established plants in 1 litre pots, ready to plant out or pot on.

Cultural Information

Common Name: Mossy saxifrage, rockfoil

Fully Grown Height and Spread: 10–15 cm x 20–30 cm

Growth Habit: Compact, cushion-forming, mat-forming evergreen perennial

Perfect For: Rockeries, alpine gardens, troughs, stone walls, paving gaps, containers, border edges

Foliage: Bright green, finely divided, evergreen mossy rosettes

Flowering Time: From march to may

Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, with shelter from hot afternoon sun; tolerates coastal gardens with shelter from salt wind; suits patio containers

Soil Type: Well-drained, gritty, humus-rich; avoid waterlogged conditions

Hardiness: Fully hardy

Maintenance: Low; trim spent flower stems after flowering

Seasonal Interest: Spring flowers; evergreen foliage

Type: Hardy evergreen alpine perennial