Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Euphorbia myrsinites

Family: (Euphorbiaceae)

(P) to 6″.  Southern Europe.  Trailing, robust 12-inch stems with spiraling, blue-green, glaucous foliage.  Stems terminate in large heads of many greenish yellow bracts enclosing tiny, yellow flowers.  A perfect plant for a dry wall or sunny rock garden.  Blooms early summer.  Well-drained soil.  Self-seeds for us.  Sun.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Haberlea rhodopensis 'Alba'

Family: Gesneriaceae

(P) to 6″.  Bulgaria and Greece.  Rosettes of wide, rugose, softly hirsute leaves with toothed margins.  Showy, drooping, tubular, soft white flowers with two upper petals and three lower petals marked with yellow and orange spots in the throat are held on 6-inch scapes.  A choice treasure for a cool, north-facing crevice.  4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Saponaria ocymoides

Family: Caryophyllaceae

(P) to 6”.  Rock Soapwort.  Native to Europe and SW Asia found in meadows and rocky areas.  A nice sprawling plant that forms an attractive carpet of semi-evergreen foliage.  Grows nicely over rock walls, in crevices, or between stepping stones.  Sprays of ½-inch, pink flowers appear in early summer.  Readily seeds and a vigorous grower.  Cut back after flowering to maintain compact form.  Prefers full sun to part shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Dianthus turkestanicus

Family: (Caryophyllaceae)

(P) to 12″.  China and Kazakhstan.  This gem forms mats of blue-green, fine foliage.  Fringed, pale pink, scented flowers cover the plant in mid-May.  Sun and well-drained soil.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Arenaria sajanensis (syn. Minuartia obtusiloba)

Family: (Caryophyllaceae)

(P) foliage to 3″, flowers to 6″.  Alaska to Oregon.  Bright green, mossy mat of fine, needle-like foliage.  Five-petalled, starry, white flowers with green veining cover the mat.  Tough and attractive rock garden plant.  Sun.  4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Sedum kamtschaticum

Family: (Crassulaceae)

(P) to 8″.  Japan to Kamchatka.  Spreading clumps of fleshy, obovate, bright green foliage with irregularly scalloped margins create a thick mat for sunny areas.  Unbranched flower stalks produce flattened cymes of deep yellow, starry flowers appearing as a veritable carpet of gold.  Beautiful when creeping along the edge of a pathway or spilling out of a crevice.  Mid to late summer.  Accommodating and tough.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Crithmum maritimum

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 12″.  Rock Samphire.  Southern Europe.  A British native known for precariously hanging from rock crevices on the white cliffs of Dover, this fascinating plant has happily established itself in the gravel at the feet of our alpine troughs.  A tangle of succulent, flattened, blue-green leaves and stems support sizeable umbels of yellow-green flowerheads.  Rock Samphire has a long history as a foraged edible plant and has recently gained in popularity among epicureans for its aromatic and flavourful leaves.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Pulsatilla patens

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 12″.  Eastern Pasque Flower.  Native to Europe, Russian, China, Canada and US.  Blooming in April at 4″ high, before the leaves develop, the ethereal, open, bell-shaped, flowers command attention.  The solitary, two-inch flower has six blue-violet, petal-like sepals and a ring of many yellow staminodes that surround a light green central boss of stamens. The sepals are pointed at the tip and lined with many parallel veins.  Flowers, stems and foliage are all covered in fine, silky, whitish hairs.  The flowers are followed by plume-like seed heads (reminiscent of some Clematis and Geum) that have good ornamental interest.  Deeply divided basal foliage grows to 12 inches tall after the flowers have faded.  A great rock garden plant and the state flower of South Dakota.  Grows best in drier, sandier soil.  Sun.  3 & T2 & ∆

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Antennaria dioica var. rosea

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 4″.  Pink Pussy-Toes.  Europe, North America.  A rock garden stalwart with tight clusters of beautiful rose-pink flowers from a basal rosette of fuzzy-grey, evergreen leaves with white tomentose below.  Midsummer.  Sun.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Horminum pyrenaicum

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 9″.  Dragon-mouth.  A native of the Pyrenees to the Tirol with bronzy, quilted and scalloped basal foliage resembling Ramonda.  Upright spikes of hooded, blue-violet flowers with fish-like mouths with purple and white interior striping.  A beauty.  Blooms early summer.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  3 & T1