Perennial of the Brassicaceae family, Draba sakurai is a species native to Japan, where it occupies the rocks and alpine scree of the Honshu mountains, notably in the Japanese Alps, at high altitudes. It is part of a small group of Asian drabas still little known in Western cultivation.
It forms a low, spreading clump, composed of rosettes of oval to spatulate leaves, dark green, distinctly pubescent to hairy, giving them a soft texture and a slightly grayish appearance. This dense and hairy foliage is one of the most immediately distinctive characteristics of the species, contrasting with the whiteness of the flowers at blooming time.
The flowers are white, with four petals, grouped in fairly dense corymbs that rise above the foliage on pubescent stems. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August depending on altitude and exposure.
In cultivation, it requires a well-drained mineral substrate, full sun or slight partial shade exposure, and protection from stagnant moisture in winter. Cultivation in an alpine trough or rock crevice is particularly suitable, ensuring good air circulation around the pubescent foliage.