Purple Saxifrage, Saxifraga oppositifolia

Where in the World?

Saxifraga oppositifolia is found in the circumpolar Arctic, on the land nearest to the North Pole, and is wide-ranging in the Arctic islands.

Distribution of purple saxifrage in the Arctic.

Purple saxifrage can also be found in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec on the tops of mountains where the climate is Arctic-like. It occurs nearer sea level in exposed sites in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

One of the most amazing things about this plant is its habitat! It is usually found in the most barren of landscapes -- polar deserts, particularly in rocky areas on dry or moist gravel, in frost cracks on patterned ground.

A view of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, where purple saxifrage grows.