Androsace geraniifolia

Primulaceae

The name Androsace brings to mind pictures of high alpine cushions, clinging to the most inaccessible rock crevices, or perhaps grown to perfection as show plants. In fact the genus also includes some that make spreading mats and are easily grown outside without protection, some meadow herbs, and some annual weeds. You won't find the last group here. The majority are high alpines, making cushions or mats of tight rosettes, with short-stems flowers, singly or in small clusters.

Androsace geraniifolia has lobed, long-stalked leaves in a loose clump or mat, and loose umbels of quite large pink or white flowers. It is a woodland species from relatively low altitude (2000 m).
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		Androsace carnea subsp. brigantiaca has small rosettes of quite dark green leaves, with short stems bearing clusters of white flowers. It is excellent for a trough or raised bed and doesn’t need winter protection.
		Androsace carnea subsp. rosea can be woody and tifted forming loose, spreading rosettes. Flowers in umbels are open, cup-shaped, white (or pink) with yellow eyes. It is actually a subspecies of A. carnea but is a more vigorous form with larger rosettes and flowers.
		Androsace carnea SDR6357 has short-stemmed umbels of pink flowers, each with a yellow eye, over a cushion or mat of loose rosettes of evergreen, linear foliage.
		Androsace rigida makes wide-spreading mats of rosettes of neat green foliage, with delicate, soft pink flowers in small clusters on short stems.
		Androsace sarmentosa is a name that was for a long time applied incorrectly to Androsace studiosorum. The real thing is a rather more delicate plant, with small, lax rosettes of hairy leaves, spreading by runners. The flowers are pink with a yellow eye.
		Androsace sarmentosa CC5557 makes mats of rosettes with softly hairy leaves, spreading by runners. Each rosette has a short stem with a cluster of pink, yellow-eyed flowers.
		Androsace sarmentosa 'Sherriffii' is a strong growing form of Androsace sarmentosa, with numerous rosettes bearing stems of pink flowers with a yellow eye.
		Androsace sempervivoides has small rosettes of green leaves, from which arise short stems with clusters of pink flowers. It quickly spreads by runners to give a mat of rosettes, and doesn't need winter protection.
		Androsace sempervivoides CC4622 has small rosettes of green leaves, from which arise short stems with clusters of pink flowers. It quickly spreads by runners to give a mat of rosettes, and doesn’t need winter protection. This is a collection from Nepal.
		Androsace sempervivoides CC4631 has small rosettes of green leaves, from which arise short stems with clusters of pink flowers. It quickly spreads by runners to give a mat of rosettes, and doesn’t need winter protection. This is a collection from Nepal.
		Androsace sempervivoides CC5299 has clusters of pink flowers on short stems, above rosettes of softly hairy leaves. It spreads by runners to give a mat of rosettes, and doesn’t need winter protection to live, although the flowers will be better without too much winter wet. This is a collection from Nepal.
		Androsace sempervivoides CC5317 spreads by runners to give a mat of rosettes of soft, hairy leaves, each of which produces as short stem bearing a cluster of pink flowers. This collection comes from Nepal.
		Androsace sempervivoides 'Susan Joan' is to all intents and purposes a fine form of Androsace studiosorum, with hairy rosettes, spreading rapidly by runners, with umbels of bright pink flowers.
		Androsace studiosorum has tight rosettes of small, hairy leaves, which produce short stems, each with a cluster of bright pink flowers with a deeper red eye. It quickly spreads by runners to give a mat of rosettes. It survives well in the open, but flowers better if protected from the worst of the winter wet. This form has been around under the names Androsace primuloides and Androsace sarmentosa.
		Androsace tangulashanensis is very compact, forming mats of fresh green rosettes. The white flowers, with a yellow eye, smother the foliage in early summer. Wonderful for growing between rockery stones.