# Alpine Sandwort (*cherleria obtusiloba*)

Alpine Sandwort (Cherleria obtusiloba) is a resilient, low-growing perennial plant that thrives in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Sprouting in dense, moss-like cushions, this remarkable alpine specialist hugs the ground to escape the punishing winds and freezing temperatures of high-altitude mountain peaks. During its short summer blooming window, these green mats transform into a beautiful spectacle, blanketed in tiny, star-shaped white flowers. Its compact, dome-shaped cushions act as natural heat-trappers, allowing the plant to photosynthesize efficiently even when surrounded by snow patches. Highly valued as a 'nurse plant,' Alpine Sandwort creates a microhabitat that accumulates organic matter and traps moisture, paving the way for other less hardy alpine species to colonize barren rocky terrain.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Typically found in dry, exposed alpine tundra, gravelly ridges, fellfields, and rocky slopes at or above the treeline.

![Alpine Sandwort](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/377890584/medium.jpg)

Photo: John Powers, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/377890584)

## Appearance

This species is easily recognized by its dense, mat-forming cushion growth habit, which closely resembles a clump of moss. It features tiny, tightly packed, needle-like green leaves that are slightly hairy and sharp-tipped, measuring only about 5 to 10 millimeters long. During the mid-summer flowering season, the foliage is adorned with small, five-petaled flowers that range from creamy white to pale yellow. Each flower, approximately 6 to 10 millimeters in diameter, sits on a short, hairy stalk just above the foliage, displaying prominent orange or yellow anthers at its center.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Caryophyllaceae
- **Genus:** Cherleria

## Interesting facts

- Alpine Sandwort cushions can survive for over a century, growing only a few millimeters in diameter each year in their harsh mountain homes.
- Despite looking like soft moss, its needle-like leaves form extremely tough, rigid cushions that can withstand freezing winds and light trampling.
- The dense interior of the cushion traps dead leaves and debris, creating a self-fertilizing compost pile that nourishes the plant's own roots.

## Special abilities

- **Cushion Growth Habit:** The dense, low-to-the-ground dome shape reduces wind exposure, limits water loss, and traps warm air within the foliage.
- **Deep Anchor Taproot:** A sturdy, elongated woody taproot anchors the plant securely in loose talus and reaches deep water sources amidst dry rocky soil.
- **Thermal Regulation:** The plant acts like a solar collector, maintaining internal temperatures up to 15 degrees Celsius warmer than the ambient alpine air.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 3-10 cm
- **Weight:** 0.02-0.15 kg
- **Lifespan:** 20-100 years

## Diet & Feeding

As a photoautotroph, the Alpine Sandwort synthesizes its own organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight energy.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon dioxide, Water, Soil nutrients

## Ecological connections

- **Mutualism:** Polar Bumblebee (*Bombus polaris*) — Pollinated by alpine bees seeking nectar and pollen in extreme environments.
- **Eaten by:** American Pika (*Ochotona princeps*) — Harvested by pikas and stored in high-altitude haypiles for winter food.
- **Competitor:** [Moss Campion](https://www.snappit.app/explore/moss-campion) (*Silene acaulis*) — Competes for limited rocky soil space and nutrients on exposed alpine ridges.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Alpine Sandwort?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Alpine Sandwort?

3-10 cm

### How much does Alpine Sandwort weigh?

0.02-0.15 kg

### How long does Alpine Sandwort live?

20-100 years

### What does Alpine Sandwort eat?

As a photoautotroph, the Alpine Sandwort synthesizes its own organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight energy.

### Where is Alpine Sandwort usually found?

Typically found in dry, exposed alpine tundra, gravelly ridges, fellfields, and rocky slopes at or above the treeline.

## Where to spot

- [Echo Lake Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/echo-lake-park) — Colorado, US · Natural Landmark

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Alpine Sandwort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/alpine-sandwort)