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Is this Saxifrage dying?

CraighBCraighB Posts: 752
in Plants
Hi guys,

I bought a Saxifrage in the Summer and I managed to keep it alive in a pot even though I have no experience with them whatsoever. However I have just been to check on it in the plastic greenhouse and it doesn't look too good. It's all brown underneath! Is it supposed to look like this or does it look at death's door? The compost was very dry when I checked it!

Do I need to trim it right back in the Spring or will it be ok leaving it? Also if anyone could help me out with the name of it that would be great as I lost the label?


This is what it used to look like in flower...

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,166
    These are tricky to grow in pots as they don't like to dry out. The browning is fairly typical though and they tend to fill out and cover it in the spring. Be careful though as I've lost loads of these to vine weevil grubs. Make sure to take plenty of cuttings and have spares just in case. ID wise it could be one of many white/cream cultivars sorry, there's quite a few.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,061
    I’ve got similar, mine’s pink, it trails over some rocks in the front garden, it gets great patches of dead stuff, I take no notice of it, it just seems to grow back and fill in by itself. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    They look fine to me too. They can look a bit ragged when not in flower. I had something similar, and it did not like the hot blazing sun at all, so had to give it away in the end. I would leave it and it should spring back to life in a few months. I think yours could be Saxifraga x Arendsii 'Pixie White'.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,166
    Peter Pan White is one of the more commonly available white varieties.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Interesting Wild edges, I had Peter Pan and always thought it was just in a pinkish colour. Never knew there was a white version.
  • CraighBCraighB Posts: 752
    Ah that is good to know! As it's winter I have been thinking that my containers won't need any watering but as it's been quite mild they have been drying out very quickly! I had forgotten all about this plant as it was shoved away at the back.

    And thanks for the name suggestions. Pixie white does seem to ring a bell so im pretty sure this is the one :)
  • nultyphilip224nultyphilip224 Posts: 923
    I have Saxifraga 'hypnoides densa',..produces small white flowers,..mine looks similar to yours but as mine is outdoors all seasons its more compacted,..i have some gravel on top of the soil though its sparse,..enabling the plant to root more quickly,..some images taken early in December and the last taken within the past hour.

    I am not fully convinced they are the same plant?.

    Philip







    glengarry23 - YouTube
  • pageparkpagepark Posts: 27
    CraighB said:
    Ah that is good to know! As it's winter I have been thinking that my containers won't need any watering but as it's been quite mild they have been drying out very quickly! I had forgotten all about this plant as it was shoved away at the back.

    And thanks for the name suggestions. Pixie white does seem to ring a bell so im pretty sure this is the one :)
    I'm not wanting to open old wounds but how did your saxifrage get on. I planted out one in the garden in April. Good to start with now shrivelling up. I'm thinking now it's been too dry. I've taken some sad looking cuttings and watered the mother plant. Any advice welcome 
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