Though this plant is regularly referred to as a ‘strawberry begonia’, Saxifraga stolonifera is entirely unrelated to the genus Begonia. A ground-level rhizomatous rosette from Asia, mainly Korea, this species produces beautiful, ruffled, mottled leaves covered in a fine hair, as well as what the species is named for-’stolonifera’. On specialized side-stems called stolons, the plant sends out small babies to take root a distance away from the original mother plant, serving to spread a carpet of Saxifraga, which will help them wholly remove any competition for their ecological niche, a very powerful survival strategy. Due to their lack of a humidity requirement, Saxifraga stolonifera makes for an incredible bowl garden plant, though it can also be grown in a higher humidity setup without any harm. It is an incredibly versatile species and should always find a place amongst the collections of experienced growers.
