Saxifraga cespitosa
Tufted saxifrage
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Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Saxifraga cespitosa (Tufted saxifrage) is a native California herb in the Saxifragaceae family, recognized by leaf size, arrangement, and division pattern.
Tufted saxifrage is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges and Warner Mountains in damp rocky places at elevations above 1,900 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white flowers with delicate elliptic petals 3 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with short, somewhat trailing woody stems, it forms dense tufted clusters close to rocky ground. Its leaves are sessile, clustered, and obovate with 3 to 5 linear lobes at the tip, typically 5 to 10 millimeters long. The plant features a slender, somewhat woody caudex and produces racemes 2 to 5 centimeters long with one or two flowers at the tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by leaf size, arrangement, and division pattern
Habitat and range
Habitat: Damp rocky places
Elevation: > 1900 m
California counties: Modoc, Siskiyou
Outside California: to arctic, eastern North America, circumboreal
Bloom period
Saxifraga cespitosa blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Micranthes: Saxifraga has at least some lobed leaves; Micranthes has only smooth-edged, unlobed leaves.; vs Boykinia: Saxifraga has small flowers and papillate seeds; Boykinia has larger saucer-shaped flowers and smooth seeds.; vs Romanzoffia: Saxifraga has basal leaf rosettes; Romanzoffia has trailing stems with kidney-shaped leaves.; vs Lithophragma: Saxifraga has 2 styles and papillate seeds; Lithophragma has 3 styles and smooth seeds.; vs Tiarella: Saxifraga grows in alpine rocks with lobed leaves; Tiarella grows in lowland shade with unlobed leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saxifraga cespitosa native to California?
Yes. Saxifraga cespitosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Saxifraga cespitosa bloom?
Saxifraga cespitosa blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Saxifraga cespitosa grow?
Saxifraga cespitosa occurs in Modoc, Siskiyou, at elevations of > 1900 m.
What plant family does Saxifraga cespitosa belong to?
Saxifraga cespitosa is in the Saxifragaceae family, genus Saxifraga.
Is Saxifraga cespitosa rare or endangered?
Saxifraga cespitosa carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.