# Meadow Saxifrage (*Saxifraga granulata*)

Meadow Saxifrage is a pretty flower that grows in meadows and grassy places. It has lovely white flowers that can brighten up any field and attract friendly insects like bees.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Meadow Saxifrage](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Saxifraga_granulata_140505.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saxifraga_granulata_140505.jpg)

## Appearance

The Meadow Saxifrage has delicate white, star-shaped flowers with five petals, often blooming in clusters. Its basal leaves are kidney-shaped and slightly toothed, forming a rosette. Slender, often reddish stems rise above, carrying sparse leaves.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Saxifragales
- **Family:** Saxifragaceae
- **Genus:** Saxifraga

## Interesting facts

- Ancient herbalists used Meadow Saxifrage to treat kidney stones, thinking it 'broke' them like rocks!
- Its scientific name 'Saxifraga' means 'rock-breaker' because it often grows in rocky cracks!
- Look closely at its five white petals; they often have tiny, elegant green or yellow spots near the base!
- The tiny plantlets (bulbils) on its stem can look like little green beads ready to sprout!

## Special abilities

- **Bulbil Power:** Meadow Saxifrage can grow tiny plant clones called bulbils on its stem, helping it spread easily without needing seeds.
- **Rock Gripper:** Its strong root system allows Meadow Saxifrage to cling and thrive in shallow, rocky soil where other plants struggle.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring-Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Common Carder Bee (*Bombus pascuorum*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Pollinates:** Large White butterfly (*Pieris brassicae*) — sips nectar from blossoms

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Meadow Saxifrage?

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 tall is Meadow Saxifrage?

10-50 cm

### How wide does Meadow Saxifrage spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Meadow Saxifrage?

1-1.5 cm

### When does Meadow Saxifrage bloom?

Spring-Summer

### Is Meadow Saxifrage edible?

Yes

### Is Meadow Saxifrage toxic?

None

### What is Meadow Saxifrage's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Zoologická zahrada Děčín - Pastýřská stěna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoologick-zahrada-d-n-past-sk-st-na) — Ústí nad Labem Region, CZ · Zoo
- [Naturpark Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt (Mansfelder Land)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-harz-sachsen-anhalt-mansfelder-land) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park
- [Historischer Kurpark Bad Homburg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/historischer-kurpark-bad-homburg) — Hessen, DE · Park

[View all places to see Meadow Saxifrage](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/meadow-saxifrage)

## 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: [Meadow Saxifrage: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/meadow-saxifrage)