Saxifraga ‘Early Picotee’

Saxifraga 'Early Picotee' (Saxifraga x arendsii 'Early Picotee') is a mossy saxifrage that spreads into a soft evergreen cushion barely 15cm tall and 30cm across. In early spring it lifts hundreds of small white flowers edged in pink on wiry stems, held clear of the foliage. It suits gaps in a rockery, the front of a shaded border, or the rim of a pot that needs softening.

Why you'll love it

• A living carpet that stays green. The fine mossy rosettes knit together at 25cm spacing and hold their colour through winter.
• Spring flowers that carry. Pink edged white blooms sit above the cushion on slim stems, so even a small planting reads from across the garden.
• Genuinely frost hardy. It shrugs off cold that flattens most groundcovers, which makes it useful in tableland and cool southern gardens.
• Almost no maintenance. No staking and no shaping. Shearing the spent flower stems once a year is the only real job.

Where it works best

Rockeries and crevices. This is its natural role. Tuck plants between stones where drainage is sharp and the roots stay cool, 25cm apart to close the gaps within a season or two.

Borders and edging. Run it along the front of a shaded bed at 25cm centres for a low green ribbon that never needs cutting back off the path.

Pots and containers. A wide shallow bowl suits the shallow roots, and bench height puts the flowers where you can see them.

Growing Saxifraga 'Early Picotee' in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, and full shade beats baking sun. This is a cool temperate and warm temperate plant. Humid heat is the one thing it will not take, because the cushion rots from the centre, so tropical and subtropical gardeners should choose something else.

Soil. Gritty and free draining. Work coarse sand through heavy beds, and set the plant slightly proud so water runs away from the crown instead of sitting in it.

Water and feed. Moderate and even. Keep the soil lightly moist through the first summer, then water once the top few centimetres dry. A light dressing of slow release fertiliser in early spring covers the year.

Pruning. Shear the flower stems off once they brown. If the middle of an older cushion thins after three or four years, divide the clump in autumn and replant the strong outer pieces.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are young single rosettes and the economical way to cover ground. A pack of ten 140mm plants gives you established cushions, enough for a little over half a square metre at 25cm spacing.

Both sizes travel well because the growth is low and compact. Expect two to three quiet weeks after planting, then steady spreading through the first cool season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants suited to rockeries and gravel gardens
• Compare the full groundcover range
• Ideas for low growing border plants
• Plants for cool climate gardens

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

About sixteen at 25cm spacing. One pack of ten 140mm plants covers a little over half a square metre and closes over within a season.

Will it cope with a humid subtropical summer?

No. Warm nights and high humidity collapse the centre of the cushion, and no amount of drainage fixes it. Keep this one for cool temperate and warm temperate gardens.

Can I walk on it?

It takes the occasional step but not regular traffic. Plant it beside a path or between stepping stones rather than treating it as a lawn substitute.