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Cynanchica pyrenaica

squinancywort

Rubiaceae

Southwestern Europe (Pyrenees and adjacent mountains)

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Cynanchica pyrenaica is a slender, tufted perennial of the bedstraw family, growing 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) tall from a woody-based rootstock. Stems are four-angled, wiry, and often spreading at the base to form low mats. The narrow, linear leaves are 0.2-0.8 inch (5-20 mm) long and arranged in whorls of four, sometimes with smaller leaves intermixed. Small funnel-shaped flowers, each with four spreading lobes, open pale pink to white and measure about 0.12-0.16 inch (3-4 mm) across, carried in loose terminal clusters through summer. The fruit is a small dry pair of nutlets. Plants are deciduous, dying back to the rootstock in autumn and regrowing in spring. Growth is slow, and the wiry stems stay short on exposed, dry sites. It is confined to thin, lime-rich soils and does not persist in damp or acidic ground.

Native Range

Native to the mountains of southwestern Europe, including the Pyrenees and neighbouring ranges. Grows on calcareous grassland, stony slopes, and rocky outcrops in well-drained, lime-rich soils, typically at montane elevations.

Suggested Uses

Used in rock gardens, raised alpine beds, and trough plantings where lean, lime-rich, free-draining conditions occur. Spaced 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) apart, it forms low mats between stones. Its need for sharp drainage and intolerance of summer wet limit its use in general borders.

How to Identify

Identified by the whorls of four narrow, linear leaves on four-angled stems and the small four-lobed, pale pink to white funnel-shaped flowers about 0.12-0.16 inch (3-4 mm) across. The low, wiry, mat-forming habit and association with limestone separate it from taller bedstraws such as Galium spp. species. Flower colour and the calcareous habitat distinguish it from related Cynanchica spp. forms on more acidic ground.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 8"

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Summer

Flowers from June to August across most of its range. Individual clusters open over several weeks, with the overall flowering period lasting roughly 6-8 weeks. Bloom is earlier at lower elevations and later on high, exposed slopes. Hot, dry conditions shorten the flowering period.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale pink to white

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range7.0 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

chalk rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun on thin, sharply drained, lime-rich soils of low fertility. Established plants tolerate extended dry periods and shallow stony ground. Wet or heavy soils cause the rootstock to rot, and shading by taller vegetation reduces flowering. The plant self-seeds modestly on open ground but spreads slowly. It is seldom cultivated and is most often grown in rock gardens or alpine collections where sharp drainage can be maintained.

Pruning

Cut back dead stems in late autumn or early spring before new growth appears. No routine pruning is required during the growing season. Removing spent flower clusters limits self-seeding but is not needed for plant health.