Mother-of-thousands (Saxifraga stolonifera) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Mother-of-thousands is a low-growing with patterned leaves, grown as a houseplant or groundcover in shady U.S. gardens. Thin red runners make new plants at their tips, and the white flowers have two long lower petals. It is also widely called strawberry begonia, although it is not a begonia.

Appearance

Growth form: This perennial forms a low mat and can spread to about 24 in (61 cm) wide on thin .
Leaves: The round to heart-shaped leaves are about 2–4 in (5–10 cm) wide, with pale veins above and purple-maroon coloring beneath.
Flowers: Each white flower is strongly uneven, with two long lower petals and three much smaller upper petals.
Flowering time: In North Carolina, it flowers from late spring into early summer.

Look-alikes

Scarlet pelargoniumPelargonium inquinans

Scarlet pelargonium (Pelargonium inquinans) is a branching shrub with red to pink flower clusters. Mother-of-thousands stays mat-forming, sends out thin runners, and has white flowers with two much longer lower petals.

Why they get mixed upBoth can have rounded, softly hairy leaves and are grown as ornamentals.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: shady rock walls
woodland gardens
containers
Range: It is native to East Asia and is grown as a houseplant or shade-garden groundcover in the United States. It is also recorded as introduced in California, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington.
Preferred conditions: It grows best in moist, rich, well-drained soil in partial to full shade. Indoors, bright indirect light is a good fit.
Flowering: Flowers May–Jun
Flowers May–Jun

Growing it

Propagation: Plantlets root at the ends of stolons, and they can be divided and rooted directly in soil.

Name and classification

About the name: Other established English names include creeping saxifrage, strawberry saxifrage, and strawberry geranium. The names strawberry begonia and strawberry geranium describe its look and runners; the plant belongs to the saxifrage family.
Varieties and forms: The cultivar ‘Maroon Beauty’ has darker leaves with silver veins and is also grown in U.S. gardens.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: It is also grown in hanging baskets.

14 sources