Cerastium alpinum

A perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family, Cerastium alpinum is a circumpolar species of high mountains and arctic regions, found in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, Scandinavia, Greenland, and the North American Arctic. It colonizes short grasslands, rocks, stabilized screes, and windy ridges, generally between 1,800 and 3,500 meters in altitude.

It forms small, loose, and spreading carpets, rarely more than 10 to 15 centimeters in height. The stems are thin, the leaves oval and opposite, with a bright green color. The flowers, borne in small groups at the top of the stems, are pure white, with five petals deeply notched at their center, giving them the appearance of ten petals radiating around a small yellow-green heart.

In its natural habitat, flowering extends from June to August depending on altitude and latitude. In cultivation, it generally blooms from May to July.

It is cultivated in full sun, on well-drained, rocky, and poor soil. It withstands intense cold but fears stagnant moisture in winter. In full bloom, its carpets of white flowers completely cover the foliage, forming an immaculate cloud above the stones.