Gypsophila tenuifolia

Gypsophila tenuifolia in bloom on rocky slopes of the Caucasus mountains
Gypsophila tenuifolia

Perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family, native to the Caucasus and adjacent mountainous regions, where it occupies rock gardens, rocky slopes, and dry alpine lawns.

It forms a dense, well-defined hemispherical cushion, 10 to 20 cm in height, from which numerous slender, upright flowering stems rise. The foliage consists of very narrow, almost filiform leaves, of a bright green, giving the tuft a light and finely cut texture, reminiscent from afar of a small tuft of grass.

The flowers, borne individually at the top of slender, branched stems, have five petals, white-pink to pale pink, of great delicacy. Their airy arrangement above the cushion creates an effect of a suspended cloud, very different from the dense carpet of Gypsophila repens. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August; in cultivation, it generally occurs in May-June.

The combination of a compact cushion and a light and ethereal flowering borne on almost invisible stems constitutes the most distinctive character of this species, which occupies an intermediate place between the mat-forming and tight cushion forms of the genus.

In cultivation, it requires a very well-drained, mineral soil, in full sun. It is suitable for rock gardens, moraines, and cultivation in pots or alpine troughs.