The Differences Between Saxifraga and Dwarf Saxifraga

How to Achieve Beautiful Color, and How to Keep Them Stable in a Moss Terrarium

(A must-read if your Saxifraga keeps exploding out of control)

Dwarf Saxifraga

Saxifraga

Saxifraga and dwarf Saxifraga differ clearly in plant size, leaf shape, growth habit, and landscaping use. Below is a clear comparison to help you make the right choice for moss terrariums, micro-landscapes, or potted planting.

I. Saxifraga (common Saxifraga types)

Overall characteristics

• Plant size: Medium to relatively large

• Leaves: Larger leaves, round-kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, with obvious serrated edges

• Leaf texture: Thick and substantial, with visible veins

• Growth habit: Produces obvious runners (similar to spider plant plantlets)

• Growth speed: Fast, with strong spreading ability

Care and use

• Highly adaptable; tolerates moisture and partial shade

• Very suitable for:

  • Open potted planting

  • Large glass tanks

  • Semi-outdoor, shady, and humid environments

• In small moss terrariums, it easily becomes uncontrollable, taking up space and suppressing moss.

II. Dwarf Saxifraga (small Saxifraga types)

Overall characteristics

• Plant size: Clearly smaller and more delicate

• Leaves: Small, rounded, or slightly wavy

• Leaf texture: Thin and fine

• Growth habit: Ground-hugging rosette form

• Growth speed: Slow and controllable

Care and use

• Prefers moisture and bright, indirect light

• Slightly sensitive to ventilation, but performs extremely well under stable humidity

• Very suitable for:

  • Moss terrariums

  • Micro-landscapes

  • Glass boxes and corner close terrariums

• Does not easily “explode” in size and provides good visual layering.

Key comparison

Aspect	Saxifraga	Dwarf Saxifraga
Plant size	Medium to large	Miniature
Leaves	Large, thick, strongly textured	Small, thin, delicate
Growth speed	Fast	Slow
Spreading habit	Strong (obvious runners)	Weak
Suitable containers	Large pots / open environments	Moss terrariums / micro-landscapes
Difficulty to control	High	Very low

I. Propagation of Saxifraga (Efficiency-oriented)

Core method: runner propagation (stolons)

• Actively produces long, thin runners

• Complete plantlets form at the ends of runners

• Roots on its own once it contacts the substrate

• Extremely high success rate and very fast

In practice

• Almost no human intervention needed

• Once conditions are right, it spreads easily and excessively

• Very easy to lose control in a moss terrarium

👉 Essentially “spider-plant-style” propagation: automatic cloning.

II. Propagation of Dwarf Saxifraga

Division (most common and most stable)

• Usually grows as a ground-hugging rosette

• As the plant matures, multiple small rosettes form at the base

• Simply separate gently during repotting or maintenance

Characteristics: High success rate, slow but stable growth, ideal for micro-landscape renewal.

Leaf or stem cuttings (possible, but slow)

• Use leaves with petioles or short stem sections

• Requires high humidity and a stable environment

• Slow to root; growth remains slow after establishment

Runners? — Basically none

• Dwarf Saxifraga rarely produces obvious runners

• Even if present, they are short, weak, and lack automatic spreading ability

• This is one of the key reasons it works so well in moss terrariums.

Propagation comparison

Item	Saxifraga	Dwarf Saxifraga
Main propagation method	Runners	Division
Automatic spreading	Yes	No
Propagation speed	Very fast	Slow
Human intervention needed	Almost none	Required
Easy to lose control	Very easy	Almost never
Suitable for moss terrariums	❌ Not recommended	✅ Strongly recommended

Common online recommendations

• Moss terrariums / micro-landscapes: Prioritize dwarf Saxifraga

• Desktop pots / large tanks: Saxifraga is easier to manage

• If you want a stable “moss + Saxifraga” composition,controlling plant size is more important than the species, and dwarf Saxifraga has a much higher success rate.

Practical advice based on my experience.

If you want a stable “moss + Saxifraga” combination terrarium, does that mean you can only choose dwarf Saxifraga?

Not necessarily. It depends on your needs.

If your terrarium is small and you have dwarf Saxifraga, choose dwarf Saxifraga.

If your terrarium is large and you want Saxifraga, then simply restrict its propagation. In essence, you need to control its vigor and prevent it from producing runners that crowd out the moss. The method is very simple: use a pot without drainage holes, wrap the roots with sphagnum moss, and place it inside (that is providing a wet planting substrate).

The Saxifraga shown in the photos above has its roots wrapped directly in sphagnum moss and placed into a round hole in a stone. There are no drainage holes, and the stone itself is not permeable. This Saxifraga does not produce runners and remains very stable.

Do the bright colors of the dwarf Saxifraga and Saxifraga in the photos mean they both need high humidity?

Their care environments are different. The only thing they share is low light and indoor care.

The dwarf Saxifraga in the photo is kept in a relatively dry state. It is in a stable, humid close terrarium, but with no standing water and minimal watering. This is a setup with humid air but very little water at the roots, placed in a higher position within the moss terrarium.

The Saxifraga shown above is also in a close terrarium, but positioned bottom. Its roots are effectively soaking in water. When I water it, I treat it like a regular houseplant. There is water in the terrarium, and there is water at the roots.