Saxifraga hyperborea
Pygmy saxifrage
no rights reserved, uploaded by Julia Carr · CC0
Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Saxifraga hyperborea (Pygmy saxifrage) is a native California herb in the Saxifragaceae family.
Pygmy saxifrage is a California native perennial found in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains in moist crevices and shaded rocky areas at elevations of 3,000 to 4,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces small white flowers with delicate petals 2 to 6 millimeters long. Growing with a fragile caudex and stems less than 3 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in high alpine environments. Its basal leaves are distinctive, with blades 5 to 8 millimeters wide, divided nearly to the base into 3 to 5 rounded or elliptical lobes. The plant's tiny size and delicate structure make it well-adapted to harsh, high-elevation rocky habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated, no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Moist crevices, shaded rocky areas
Elevation: 3000-4500 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono, Mariposa, Tuolumne
Outside California: sporadic to arctic, Colorado, Arizona, circumboreal
Bloom period
Saxifraga hyperborea blooms Jul-Aug.
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 hyperborea native to California?
Yes. Saxifraga hyperborea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Saxifraga hyperborea bloom?
Saxifraga hyperborea blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Saxifraga hyperborea grow?
Saxifraga hyperborea occurs in Inyo, Mono, Mariposa, Tuolumne, at elevations of 3000-4500 m.
What plant family does Saxifraga hyperborea belong to?
Saxifraga hyperborea is in the Saxifragaceae family, genus Saxifraga.
What habitat does Saxifraga hyperborea grow in?
Saxifraga hyperborea grows in Uncommon. Moist crevices, shaded rocky areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.