# Rue-leaved Saxifrage (*Saxifraga tridactylites*)

Rue-leaved Saxifrage is a small, pretty plant that grows in rocky places. It has unique leaves that look like little fingers and produces tiny flowers that can brighten up the ground.

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

![Rue-leaved Saxifrage](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Saxifraga_tridactylites3.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Aroche assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saxifraga_tridactylites3.jpg)

## Appearance

The Rue-leaved Saxifrage is a small, delicate annual plant with sticky, glandular stems. It has small, fleshy, three-lobed leaves resembling rue. Tiny white or sometimes pinkish flowers with five petals appear at the top, often forming a sparse cluster.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It uses tiny sticky hairs to catch water droplets, helping it survive dry conditions!
- It's an annual, meaning it completes its whole life in just one year!
- Its scientific name, 'tridactylites', means 'three-fingered' for its unique leaves!
- This plant often turns a reddish color in dry conditions, like it's getting a sun tan!

## Special abilities

- **Stone Breaker:** Rue-leaved Saxifrage can sprout in tiny rock crevices, using its roots to anchor and grow where other plants cannot survive.
- **Sticky Shield:** Rue-leaved Saxifrage has glandular hairs on its stems that can trap small insects or collect moisture from the air.
- **Speedy Cycle:** Rue-leaved Saxifrage can complete its entire life cycle quickly, helping it evade long dry periods in harsh environments.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-15 cm
- **Spread:** 3-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.8 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — attracted to its small white flowers
- **Pollinates:** Drone Fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — visits flowers seeking nectar and pollen
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — might graze on its delicate leaves

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [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.
- [Cold Hardy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cold-hardy): Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Rue-leaved 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 Rue-leaved Saxifrage?

2-15 cm

### How wide does Rue-leaved Saxifrage spread?

3-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Rue-leaved Saxifrage?

0.3-0.8 cm

### When does Rue-leaved Saxifrage bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Rue-leaved Saxifrage edible?

No

### Is Rue-leaved Saxifrage toxic?

None

### What is Rue-leaved Saxifrage's lifecycle?

Annual

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