About

Androsace lanuginosa is a low-growing, evergreen perennial that spreads to 45 cm across, creating a dense mat of loose rosettes featuring smooth, grey-green, oval-shaped leaves. In mid-summer, it produces clusters of lilac-pink flowers measuring 8-12 mm in diameter, borne on stalks reaching up to 10 cm in height.

About the genus

Androsace comprises annuals, biennials, or evergreen perennials that create mat-like or dense cushion formations. The flowers, which are typically salver-shaped, can appear individually or in clusters known as umbels.

Growing conditions

Sunlight
Full sun
Soil type
Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moisture
Well-drained
Aspect
South-facing, West-facing
Exposure
Exposed, Sheltered
UK hardiness
H6

Plant details

Plant type
Alpine Rockery
Habit
Matforming
Foliage
Evergreen
Height
Up to 10 cm
Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height
2-5 years
Suggested uses
Rock garden, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants
Native to
Himalaya

Care notes

Cultivation
Grow in a scree bed, in vertical crevices in rock or in moist but gritty well-drained soil
Pruning
No pruning required
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown in containers in an open cold frame as soon as ripe or in autumn. Root single rosettes as cuttings in early to midsummer. Keep moist but water from below to avoid wetting the rosettes
Pest resistance
May be susceptible to aphids under glass but generally pest-free
Disease resistance
May be susceptible to fungal diseases in damp conditions. Remove dead rosettes to reduce the risk of infection