Moss Sandwort Sabulina verna
Previously known as:
- Minuartia verna
- Phonetic Spelling
- sah-bu-LEE-nah VER-nah
- Description
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Moss Sandwort is a small, flowering perennial herb or subshrub in the Pink family with slender, needle-like leaves that resemble moss (hence the common name). It is a native or Eurasia and Northwest Africa and relatively rare. Small, five petaled, white flowers appear in spring on short, downy stems.
Moss Sandwort does best in full sun to part shade. It is frost hardy and will tolerate metal-rich soils. It can be found around spoil heaps and old mine workings. It prefers open sites with reduced competition, but may suffer from drought in very exposed conditions.
Moss Sandwort spreads by means of runners to form a dense mat or groundcover. It may also be appropriate for an alpine garden.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Shallow roots'
- 'Shallow roots'
- 'Shallow roots'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Shallow roots'
- 'Shallow roots'
- 'Shallow roots'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Sabulina
- Species:
- verna
- Family:
- Caryophyllaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Northern Europe, south to Turkey, the Mediterranean countries.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Five petaled, small white flowers with ten purple anthers appear in spring on short, downy stems.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Whorled
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Narrow, needle-like and straight leaves, in whorls on slender stems.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
