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Alpine plant ID help?

wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,359
in Plants
Hi everyone. I'm hoping someone can ID this mystery plant for me so I can take better care of it. I took a tiny cutting of a plant growing feral in sunny south Devon and brought it home. It has grown into the plant below through a bit of trial and error. It isn't quite as hardy as I thought and I almost lost it last winter but it has been in the cold greenhouse this winter and has been fine. I guess it is cold hardy but doesn't like it too wet. Any care suggestions would be very welcome though. My house is at 1000ft elevation in south Wales, exposed, windy and wet, not ideal for the kind of plants I like but I have a greenhouse and cold frames.

I originally thought it was a species of Sedum but it has a growth pattern much like a saxifrage. I have some similar Sedums but they all do dormant over the winter whereas this one stays as shown. The foliage is a silvery green with rosettes about the size of a pound coin. It hasn't flowered yet so no help there sorry.

Thanks in advance.




Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
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  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,183
    Hello hernond. It does look like one of the Sedum spurium family.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,407
    I don't know what it is, but I don't think you could take much better care of it than you are already! It looks in fine fettle to me and will probably flower when it gets some sun.
  • DimWitDimWit Posts: 553
    Probably Saxifraga paniculata, with white or pink flowers.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,183
    The leaflets do not look quite right for Saxifraga paniculata.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,790
    It’s Sedum pachyclados.  Nice but gently invasive. 
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,183
    You've nailed it KeenOnGreen. I agree with Buttercupdays about it looking in fine fettle.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,359
    KeenOnGreen said:
    It’s Sedum pachyclados.  Nice but gently invasive. 
    That looks pretty promising to me. The pictures coming up on Google look similar but with less deeply lobed leaves but they might plump out later in the season. It certainly looks like it was the wet that was harming it not the cold anyway.

    Thanks for the help everyone :)

    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,359
    DimWit said:
    Probably Saxifraga paniculata, with white or pink flowers.
    That's a lovely plant, I'll have to keep an eye out for some of those. I've built a dry stone wall in the garden that saxifrages seem to love. The only real problem I get is that voles like the wall too and push out new plants I tuck into crevices. I guess I'm blocking up their windows or something.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,359
    Just to explain my confusion with this plant a bit more, I've got the plant below which has a similar leaf and growth habit but is actually a primula (suffrutescens). It prefers moist conditions and won't tolerate drying out completely or getting too cold. Basically the opposite of the Sedum. I'm very pleased that it's survived the winter actually.


    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    A primula by golly. I would have sworn that was London Pride - saxifrage. Every day is a schoolday!
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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