Plant of the day: California saxifrage

A dainty spray of picture-perfect white flowers grows on a shady slope. Five smooth white petals surround ten rust-tipped stamens. This is California saxifrage, or Micranthes californica.

This saxifrage is mostly a Californian species–it’s range extends from southern Oregon to Baja. The pretty blooms grow on a long reddish stalk that rises from a handful of hairy, tongue-shaped leaves growing close to the ground. The flowers often are on only one side of the stalk.