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Colourful offspring
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Saxifraga's offspring are innumerable and can fill up an entire area quickly
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SAXIFRAGA IS a very large genus. Only one species of this genus is suitable for use as a house plant. Saxifraga stolonigera, formerly known as Saxifrage sarmentosa, which has been aptly termed `mother of thousands' because of its many offspring.
Native of China and Japan, this is a stem-less perennial with many thin, trailing runners carrying countless new plants. It grows no more than 15 cm tall with loose rosettes of almost circular, deep olive green, roundly toothed leaves with fine silver veining and reddish purple beneath. They are borne of thin leaf stalks, and the stalks as well as the leaves are covered with soft hairs that are reddish when young but gradually turn green. The red thread-like stems that bear the little plantlets merge from the centre of the plant and divide into several threads of varying length.
The flower spikes carry loose clusters of star-shaped flowers that are white with a yellow centre. They have five petals, which are about two cm across with two of its petals larger than the rest, and drooping. Saxifraga tricolour (magic carpet) is smaller than the others, and its green, cream and pink flowers are very attractive. Saxifraga look attractive in hanging baskets where the trailing shoots and decorative colourful leaves are displayed to full advantage. One can grow them in soil mixed with sand, compost, and loam. A bit of early morning sun helps Saxifraga to keep the leaf colouring. Water regularly. They require high humidity; hence, suspend dishes of water under hanging baskets.
Saxifraga's propagation is by detaching the young plants from the runner and potting separately.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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