DESCRIPTION: Purple Robe Rockfoil features tiny ruby-red star-shaped flowers with white eyes at the ends of the stems in late spring. Its needle-like leaves remain emerald green in colour throughout the season.

BOTANICAL NAME: Saxifraga x arendsii 'Purple Robe'
OTHER NAMES: Purple Robe Saxifrage, Mossy Saxifrage 
AVERAGE MATURE HEIGHT: 20-25 cm
AVERAGE MATURE SPREAD: 25-30 cm
SUN EXPOSURE: Full sun to partial shade
FLOWER COLOUR: Shades of red
FLOWERING TIME: Late spring to early summer
FOLIAGE COLOUR: Emerald green
COLD HARDINESS: Zone 3 ( Should survive up to -39.9° Celsius )
WATER NEEDS: Average
OTHER FEATURES: Attracts Butterflies, Deer Resistant, Groundcover, Rabbit Resistant, Rock Garden

Landscape Attributes

Purple Robe Rockfoil is an herbaceous perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Purple Robe Rockfoil is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Purple Robe Rockfoil will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Purple Robe Rockfoil is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception.