Perennial of the Brassicaceae family, Draba mollissima is native to the Caucasus, where it grows on rocks and high-altitude scree, in full light, on very well-drained mineral substrates.
It forms a dense and rounded cushion, remarkably compact, reaching about fifteen centimeters in diameter while remaining very low. The rosettes that compose it consist of small oval leaves, soft to the touch, of a tender green to gray-green, covered with a fine and dense pubescence that fully justifies the epithet mollissima, the very soft. This velvety softness of the foliage is the most immediately perceptible character of the species, and one of the most endearing in a rock garden collection.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from April to June depending on the altitude; it produces short flowering stems bearing small yellow flowers that cover the entire cushion, creating a luminous mass effect contrasting with the gray of the surrounding rocks. In cultivation, flowering generally occurs in April-May.
It requires perfect drainage, full sun exposure, and a poor, rocky substrate. Sensitive to excess moisture in winter, it is ideally cultivated in an alpine trough or a very well-drained rock garden, sheltered from prolonged rains.