Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage

How to recognise it

Habit

Low, creeping perennial of 5–15 cm, forming dense mats with rooting stems.

Leaf

In opposite pairs, round to broadly oval, 1–2 cm, with a scalloped edge and a short stalk; fresh green with scattered hairs on top.

Flower

Tiny flowers of 3–4 mm without petals, with four yellow-green sepals and eight stamens, in flat clusters among yellow-green bracts; from March to May.

Fruit/Seed

An open, cup-shaped capsule with small, glossy seeds that are splashed out by raindrops.

Stem

Creeping and rooting at the nodes; the flower stems are short and ascending.

Look-alikes

Alternate-leaved golden-saxifrage has alternate, larger, kidney-shaped leaves on long stalks and brighter yellow bracts; it grows more often in limier places. Large bitter-cress and watercress, which grow in the same places, have pinnate leaves and white flowers.

Flowering: March–May

Why grow it?

• It flowers as early as March–April, when little else is in flower in wet woodland: tiny flies, midges and small beetles visit the flowers.
• A typical plant of springs: it gives away places where clean groundwater seeps out of the soil.
• It forms a green mat that looks good for most of the year and covers wet, bare patches.
• A lovely ground cover for the wettest, shadiest corner of the garden, where almost nothing else will grow.
• The damp mats give shelter to small creatures such as tiny snails, woodlice and young amphibians.
• Its golden-green bracts give a soft glow along small streams in early spring.

Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage: where does it grow best?

• In the wild by springs and seepages, along small streams, in wet spring-fed woods and alder carr, on wet rocks and banks.
• Shade to partial shade, under trees and shrubs.
• Soil that is always wet and rich in humus, preferably acid to neutral and with some flowing or seeping water.
• In the garden on a shady pond edge, beside a small stream or a little spring, or in a spot where rainwater from the roof keeps the soil wet.

Goes well with

• Large bitter-cress: White flowers with violet anthers in the same wet places, just after the golden-saxifrage.
• Marsh-marigold: Large, glossy yellow flowers in March–April at the water’s edge.
• Lady-fern: A delicate, fresh green fern for the wet shade above.
• Oxlip: Pale yellow flowers in March–April in the damp woodland next to it.

Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage: when and how to plant it?

1. Never dig up plants in the wild: it is fairly rare in Flanders. Buy them from a nursery for native plants or pond plants.
2. Plant in March–April or in September–October, when the soil is wet and cool.
3. Set the little plants 15–20 cm apart in wet soil, just above the waterline or in a spot that always stays moist.
4. Firm them in well, so that the creeping stems touch the wet soil; they will then root quickly.
5. After planting, keep the soil wet at all times and never let it dry out, even in summer.
6. In autumn, remove thick layers of fallen leaves so that the low mats are not smothered.

Care

Water

Always keep it wet. In a spot without a spring or stream, give rainwater in dry spells, preferably not limy tap water.

Feeding

Not needed; feeding only makes the grasses and nettles around the plant stronger.

Removing leaves

In late autumn, lift thick layers of fallen leaves off the mats by hand.

Competition

Pull out taller plants such as nettles and grasses if they grow over the mats.

Peace and quiet

Do not walk on it: the mats and the wet soil are easily damaged by trampling.

Tip: Lead rainwater from a gutter to a shady, shallow hollow filled with gravel and humus: you create a mini spring where opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage and large bitter-cress feel at home.

Pruning and mowing

When: Not needed.

How:

• Leave the mats alone: they stay low by themselves.
• If needed, trim stems that creep over a path or stepping stone.
• Remove fallen leaves by hand rather than with a rake, to spare the mats.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September: cut off a piece of the mat with roots and replant it straight away in a wet spot.

Rooting stems

The creeping stems root at the nodes; a small rooted piece establishes easily.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in summer on wet, bare soil in the shade and keep the seedbed constantly wet.

Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• It stays largely green in mild winters; in hard frost the top leaves die back a little.
• Hardy to about −25 °C; seeping spring water rarely freezes.
• The first yellow-green bracts appear as early as February–March.

Diseases and pests

• Drying out: Brown, shrivelled mats in summer. Choose a spot that always stays wet, or give rainwater.
• Slugs and snails: They graze the young leaves. Usually not a big problem; the mat grows back.
• Being smothered: Grasses, nettles or a thick layer of leaves smother the low mats. Weed around them and remove the leaves.
• Too much sun: In full sun the leaves scorch and dry out. Plant it in the shade of trees or shrubs.

Through the year

• February: The first yellow-green bracts appear.
• March: Flowering begins. Plant or divide.
• April: Full flower: golden-green mats along the water.
• May: Last flowers; the cup-shaped fruits ripen.
• June: Raindrops splash out the seeds.
• July: Keep wet in dry weather.
• August: Keep wet; pull out plants that grow over the mats.
• September: Plant or divide.
• November: Lift fallen leaves off the mats.

Did you know?

• Chrysosplenium comes from the Greek chrysos, gold, and splen, spleen: the plant was once associated with the spleen.
• The seeds are spread by raindrops: a falling drop splashes them out of the open, cup-shaped capsule some distance away.
• It belongs to the saxifrage family but, unlike most saxifrages, it has no petals: the golden-green colour comes from the sepals and the bracts.