Alpine Soapwort

Alpine Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides) moves like water over stone. Her growth is trailing, her bloom profuse, soft pink flowers spilling over rock walls and garden edges. She is not tall, but she is expansive, covering ground with a gentle insistence that feels more like invitation than conquest. Her leaves are small and opposite, her stems wiry but flexible. In bloom, she becomes a cloud of pink, each flower simple, five-petaled, and open-faced. There is no mystery in her shape, only generosity.