Livelong Saxifrage
Saxifraga paniculata
The white encrustations on the leaf margins are actually lime (calcium carbonate) secreted by the plant to get rid of excess minerals.
- Scientific name
- Saxifraga paniculata
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Saxifragales › Saxifragaceae › Saxifraga
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- tundra
- Habitat
- Calcareous rock crevices, alpine cliffs, and stony arctic-alpine slopes.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis).
- Range
- Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Arctic North America, Caucasus Mountains
- Size
- Rosettes 1-5 cm wide; flowering stalks 5-30 cm tall.
- Lifespan
- 10-20 years for individual rosettes; colonies can persist much longer.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Climate change leading to loss of alpine tundra habitat and over-collection by rock-gardening enthusiasts.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Observe from a distance to avoid trampling the delicate alpine soil. Do not pick or dislodge from rock faces; they are slow-growing and vital for stabilizing rocky scree. No medical action required if touched.
Saxifraga paniculata (also known by the English common names alpine saxifrage , encrusted saxifrage , lifelong saxifrage , lime-encrusted saxifrage , livelong saxifrage , White Mountain saxifrage , and silver saxifrage ) is a species of saxifrage native to the United States, Europe and Asia.
Photo: Wolfgang Jauch, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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