Flowering period, June to August.
Saxifraga Oppositifolia (Lin.)
Purple Mountain Saxifrage, Purple Saxifrage, Blue Saxifrage, Opposite-leaved Saxifrage; Nat. Ord. Saxifragaceæ.
During the month of March this is one of the most effective flowers in our gardens. The mossy appearance of its foliage, when dotted with its large blossoms, is hardly less beautiful than when the whole broad spreading tufts are literally packed with them. This must be a dear flower to all lovers of our native flora, for it not only comes very early, and in its wild homes on the Ingleborough, Welsh, and Scottish hills, greets and gladdens the rambler, who is, perhaps, making his first excursion of the year, but it is one of our most striking and beautiful flowers, even though they are produced on a plant of such humble size and habit. The pleasing and descriptive names of this gem of our hills would form a chapter in themselves. Even the old Latin names by which it was known, before the time when Linnæus arranged and re-named most of our native plants, bespeak a desire to do justice to a flower of more than ordinary beauty; and, as they were so strictly descriptive, at least one, I think, may be given without trying the reader's patience: Saxifraga alpina ericoides flore cæruleo, or the Blue-flowered Erica-like Mountain Saxifrage. Doubtless, shorter names are more convenient, but such specific names as the one just given are not entirely useless. Its present botanical name is in reference to the foliage only, but otherwise so distinct is this plant either in or out of bloom that no one could well mistake it.
The flowers are ½in. to ¾in. across, produced terminally and singly on short procumbent stems. They are of a bright purple colour; petals ovate; the longish stamens carry bold anthers furnished with dark orange-coloured pollen, which forms a pretty feature. The leaves are small, crowded, opposite, ovate, entire, leathery, fringed or ciliated, and retuse. A peculiar feature about this species is the pore at the blunt apex of each leaf. The habit is prostrate; the stems being long, tufted, or pendulous, according to the situation; the flower shoots are upright, on which the leaves are more remote. Under cultivation newly planted roots will be found not only to flower sparingly, but the blooms will be rather small until the plant grows large and strong.
On rockwork, with its roots near or between large stones, is in every way the best place for it; it however, thrives in the borders. The soil is not of much importance, but without doubt it does best in a compost of the nature of that of its wild homes. The humus and grit may be represented by sand and small stones, and peat or leaf soil, all mixed with loam. This, let me here state, will be found generally the right stuff for alpines and rockery plants. This plant is useful as a spring bedder, or for carpeting bare places; and any conspicuous part of the garden needing bright objects during March and April should give room largely for this cheerful subject. The bloom is very lasting; no storm seems to do it any hurt, and in every way it is reliable. It may be readily propagated by divisions. The procumbent stems will, in strong patches, be found to supply rootlets in abundance. These may be transplanted at almost any time of the year.
Flowering period, March and April.
S. opp. alba is a white flowered variety of the above. It is not found wild. Other dissimilarities are the smaller parts throughout the whole plant, and the less straggling habit. The white petals show up the dark orange anthers finely. There are other varieties of the above type, but their points of difference are so slight as not to need description for garden uses. It may, however, be useful to give their names: S. opp. major, S. opp. pyrenaica, S. opp. retusa, S. opp. pallida. All the above varieties may be grown like the common form; their uses, propagation, and blooming period are the same, with the exception of pyrenaica, which not only flowers a little later, but is less rampant, and not nearly so easy to propagate. I have imagined that a little limestone has helped it, bits of which are placed over its roots.