Saxifraga umbrosa Clarence Elliott

Saxifraga umbrosa 'Clarence Elliot', often referred to as 'painter's despair', is a particularly floriferous variety with more compact and colourful inflorescences than the type. In spring, this perennial produces cloudy inflorescences formed by red stems that deliver an explosion of bright pink stars. They dominate persistent rosettes of a bright dark green. A wonderful variety for rock gardens and borders, where it elegantly covers the ground. This saxifrage likes crevices and spaces between slabs, as long as it finds moist soil.

Saxifraga umbrosa is the true 'painter's despair', a Pyrenean botanical species, widespread in woods and between shady rocks. It belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. The growth rate of this small perennial is quite slow. Its adult size will not exceed 12cm (5in) in height, 25cm (10in) in flower. It forms rosettes of thick leaves that form a carpet, slowly spreading over time through stolons anchored in the cracks of rocks and between stones, in the slightest pocket of humus. The foliage is composed of long, thick, petiolate, spoon-shaped leaves, with very scalloped edges. They boast a pretty, dark and shiny green hue. Flowering takes place in May-June, in the form of bare and branched red stems, emerging from the rosettes. They bear small, simple bright pink flowers, delicately powdered with dark pink in the middle.

This 'painters' despair' can be used to delineate paths and borders, but it can also be used for larger spaces. It will thrive very well on shady banks where grass is scarce. It can also replace moss that invades a shaded end of the lawn by digging up that area and planting a carpet of saxifrage. For the same reason, this plant will serve as a ground cover between bushes and trees. A formidable hiding place, it adapts without the slightest difficulty to the poorest sandy soil or shady locations. It is a vital asset in the most disadvantaged areas of the garden, such as in the shade or 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.

These plants often grow in the crevices of rocks. It has long been believed that this plant may have medicinal properties and can eliminate kidney stones. Within the rock garden family, the genus Saxifraga is a special category with more than 450 species. Saxifrages can reach the highest peaks of the highest mountains. In these inhospitable places, nature has created magicians of survival.