Perennial of the Plantaginaceae family, Asarina procumbens is native to northeastern Spain and southern France, where it grows spontaneously in the crevices of shaded rocks, old walls, and fresh scree, mainly on siliceous or granitic substrate, between approximately 400 and 1,400 meters. It is particularly present in the Pyrenees and the Cévennes.
It develops into creeping and trailing stems, soft and viscous to the touch, spreading over 30 to 50 cm. The entire plant is covered with a fine, slightly sticky glandular down, a characteristic immediately perceptible to the hand, giving it a velvety appearance. The leaves, kidney-shaped to slightly lobed, of a tender and soft green, are regularly arranged along the stems.
The flowers are remarkably large for the genus, reaching 3 to 4 cm in length: tubular and bilabiate, of a pale cream white veined with yellow at the throat, they evoke small snapdragons of great delicacy, borne singly in the axil of each leaf throughout the beautiful season. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to August. In cultivation, it can begin as early as April and continue until September in cool exposures.
Hardy down to about -10 to -12°C, it performs well in much of Western Europe, provided it is planted in a well-drained site, sheltered from stagnant winter moisture. It requires a shaded to semi-shaded exposure and a fresh, humus-rich substrate. It excels in the crevice of a shaded wall, in a fresh rock garden or trailing over a low wall.