Purple saxifrage

Tags: Flowers Description: Purple saxifrage grows in mats lying along the ground or hanging down from the mountainsides. The leaves are small and thick and sit closely two by two directly opposite each other, so that they take on a square shape. Purple saxifrage finishes making its red-purple flowers as early as in the autumn, without their opening. In addition it has evergreen leaves, and has the ability to sense the sun through the snow in spring. It can therefore start photosynthesis even before the snow has melted away entirely, and you can often see flowers of purple saxifrage poking up in an otherwise snow-covered area. Purple saxifrage is the flowering plant that has been found furthest to the north, on a small island called Kaffeklubben Øy, north of the northern coast of Greenland. Habitat type: Mountains, Svalbard Edible: No Written by: Lærke Stewart

Purple saxifrage. Photo: Lærke Søndergaard Stewart