Andrew Chick Ecology

The Starry Saxifrage (Saxifraga stellaris) is a delicate plant of the uplands, typically found beside mountain streams, springs, flushes and wet rocky places where the water is cool and clean. Its small white, star-shaped flowers, usually marked with distinctive reddish or yellowish spots, appear mainly from June to August.

In Britain it is principally a plant of the north and west, occurring in suitable upland habitats in Scotland, Wales and northern England, including the Lake District. Despite its fragile appearance, it is well adapted to exposed mountain conditions and can occur at considerable altitude.

Starry Saxifrage favours constantly moist, relatively nutrient-poor habitats, often growing among mosses and other specialised plants associated with upland springs and flushes. Such habitats can be vulnerable to changes in drainage, water quality, grazing and trampling.

Its presence is therefore characteristic of some of our most attractive and relatively undisturbed upland wetland communities. Close up, its beautifully spotted flowers make Starry Saxifrage one of the more distinctive small plants to look for alongside mountain streams and rocky flushes.