Saxifraga arendsii Adebar

Saxifraga 'Adebar', also known as Turkish carpet, mossy saxifrage, or stonebreaker, forms a small evergreen cushion. In spring, it is covered with a multitude of tiny flowers in white cups. A little gem for well-maintained rockeries, in partial shade, this saxifrage thrives in crevices and spaces between slabs, as long as it finds moist soil.

'Adebar' belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. Its ancestors are native to the mountains of the Northern Hemisphere. The growth rate of this small perennial is quite slow. Its adult size will not exceed 5cm (2in) in height, 15cm (6in) in flower, and 30cm (12in) in width. 'Adebar' forms a small prostrate tuft with a cushion-like habit. The foliage is composed of small rosettes of finely cut leaves, with a lovely moss-green colour. The flowering takes place in May-June, in the form of small single flowers in cup shapes. They are pure white and delicately scented, carried on slender stems. 

'Adebar' is a beautiful rockery plant that can be used to line pathways and borders, but it can also be used for larger areas. For example, it will thrive very well on banks where grass is scarce. It can also replace moss that invades a shaded end of the lawn: this area can be dug out to plant a carpet of saxifrages. For the same reason, this plant will serve as ground cover between shrubs and trees. A wonderful hiding place, it adapts without any difficulty to the poorest sandy soil or shady locations. It proves to be valuable in the most unfavourable areas of the garden, such as in the shade and in the north. Use saxifrage to conceal a portion of soil where stones or construction waste have been buried. It also works well in a large container, for example.

The generic name comes from the Latin words saxum for "rock" and frago for "break". These plants often grow in rock crevices and it was believed that they were able to break them to make their way towards the light. It was long believed that this plant has medicinal properties and could eliminate kidney stones. The saxifrage family also includes the fleshy-leaved bergenia, which is widespread in gardens, and the indoor plant Saxifraga stolonifera (strawberry begonia). In the family of rockery plants, the genus "saxifraga" constitutes a particular category comprising more than 450 species. Saxifrages can reach the highest peaks of the highest mountains. In these inhospitable places, nature has created magicians of survival.