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Perennial of the Rubiaceae family, Asperula arcadiensis is endemic to the Peloponnese, in Greece, where it grows in the cracks of limestone rocks and exposed rocky screes, in a dry and bright mountainous environment. It is a rare plant in the wild, highly sought after by alpine plant collectors.
It forms a dense and compact cushion, only 5 to 10 cm in height, with highly branched stems covered with small linear leaves, narrow and arranged in tight whorls, of a grayish-green and slightly hairy, giving the whole a soft and finely bristled texture that is immediately recognizable.
The flowers, tubular and with four spreading lobes, are a soft pink to deep pink, borne in small terminal clusters that generously cover the cushion at the time of flowering. The relatively elongated floral tubes give the inflorescence a particular lightness and grace, clearly visible in the photograph. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July. In cultivation, it generally occurs in May-June.
It requires perfect drainage, a lean and stony limestone substrate, and a sunny to slightly shaded exposure during the day. It dreads stagnant moisture in winter. Pot culture in a very mineral substrate, under cold unheated shelter in winter, is often preferable under Atlantic climates. Hardy to about -10°C in dry conditions.