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Androsace alpina
A tiny cushion-forming alpine plant from the high Alps, growing between 2,500 and 3,200 m in rock crevices and scree. The key to growing it is sharp drainage, full sun and cool conditions.
Androsace alpina, or Alpine rock-jasmine, is an alpine plant, endemic to the Alps. The plant forms distinctive cushion-like mats up to 20 cm across, with small overlapping leaves arranged in rosettes and bearing fine glandular hairs that help conserve water. It inhabits specialized high-alpine environments between 2,500 and 3,200 metres elevation, favouring well-drained limestone or dolomite scree and crevices primarily on south-facing slopes, where its cushion growth form creates a protective microclimate in these harsh conditions.
This species is endemic to high-alpine zones of the European Alps, occurring exclusively at elevations between 2,500 and 3,200 metres. It favours shallow soils lodged in rock crevices or loose scree—loose fragments of limestone or dolomite—that offer excellent drainage and prevent root waterlogging during snowmelt. The cushion growth form creates a more stable microclimate by trapping heat and reducing wind exposure, vital adaptations in an environment where even summer nights can drop below freezing. Surveys demonstrate that A. alpina shows a strong preference for south- to south-east-facing aspects on initial lithosols, where shallow soils in rock fissures and gravelly slopes maximise solar exposure and minimise frost persistence. Because A. alpina relies on such specialised habitats and has a limited range, it is vulnerable to the effects of climate warming and disturbance from recreational activities in alpine areas.
Pink Rock Jasmine · Androsace lanuginosa · Androsace villosa · Rockjasmine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Androsace alpina by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
