Grow dryas in full sun on grit that drains. Dryas is one species, Dryas octopetala, also sold as mountain avens. It is not the Younger Dryas climate event.
Keep it in full sun, on grit that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun | Do not hide it under a dense shrub canopy |
| Soil | Gritty, well-drained soil, often with lime or chalk | Do not plant it in wet clay |
| Water | Water to settle a new plant, then keep the crown dry | Do not leave the mat sitting in winter wet |
| Site | A rock garden, a wall, or a gravel edge | Do not treat it as a lush, rich border perennial |
dryas is an evergreen mat of small oak-like leaves, shiny above and pale beneath. White flowers with about eight petals open on short stalks in late spring and early summer, then silky seed heads follow. Give it sun and sharp drainage so the woody stems stay dry at the crown. [1] [2]
Where do mountain avens grow?
In the garden, put the mat in full sun on grit that drains — a rock garden, a wall, or a gravel edge. In the wild it holds dry meadows, rocky tundra, and fellfields.
How much sun does dryas need?
Full sun is the usual home. A little afternoon shade is fine if the soil still drains. Wet shade rots the crown.
Plant in spring, and leave the woody stems at the soil line
Plant a pot-grown mat in spring, after the last expected frost, once the soil is workable. Set the woody stems at the old soil line. Do not bury them, and do not lift an established mat later to move it.
- Plant in spring, after the last expected frost, when the soil is workable. [3]
- Choose a rock garden, a wall crevice, or a gravel edge in full sun, not a low wet spot.
- Dig a hole as deep as the pot and a little wider. Mix grit or coarse sand into the backfill so water leaves.
- Set the woody stems at the old soil line. Do not bury the crown.
- Leave about twelve inches between plants so the mat can spread.
- Water once to settle the soil, then let the crown dry between waterings.
When do I plant dryas?
Plant in spring, after frost, with the woody stems at the soil line. Do not lift an established mat to move it.
Take a midsummer cutting, or lift a layered shoot
The usual way to make another mat is a heel cutting in midsummer, or a shoot that has already rooted along the stem. Seed can take many months, so do not wait on a packet as the main method.
- In midsummer, take a heel cutting of half-ripe wood about three inches long, and strip the lower leaves. [4]
- Stick the cutting in sharp sand in a frame. Keep the sand barely moist. Soggy sand rots the stem.
- Or, in early spring, lift a shoot that has rooted along the mat, and replant it at the same depth.
Can I take cuttings?
Yes. Take a midsummer heel cutting, or lift a shoot that has rooted along the stem in early spring.
Not the Younger Dryas — and not geum or prairie smoke
The Younger Dryas is a cold climate period named after this plant's pollen. You are growing the living mat, not studying that cold snap.
What is the name of the younger Dryas flower?
The plant behind that name is this one, Dryas octopetala, also sold as mountain avens. Grow the evergreen mat in sun and grit.
Is this the same as geum?
No. Geum is a taller border perennial with usually five petals. This plant is a woody evergreen mat with about eight petals.
Geum, also sold as avens, stands taller and usually has five petals. Prairie smoke is Geum triflorum. It has ferny leaves and pink nodding flowers before its feathery seed. See How to Grow Geum. Cinquefoil is another five-petal rose relative. See How to Grow Cinquefoil.
If the tag says bearberry or kinnikinnick, that is an evergreen manzanita, not this oak-leaved mat. See How to Grow Manzanita. Creeping oak is a nickname for these small oak-like leaves. It is not an oak tree. Dryas iulia is a butterfly, and a dryas monkey is an African monkey. Neither is this rock-garden plant.
Set it in full sun on grit that drains, with the woody stems at the soil line. Keep the crown dry, and do not buy geum, prairie smoke, or a climate-period search as this plant.
FAQ
Can I grow it from seed?
You can sow seed, but it may sit for many months. A midsummer cutting or a layered shoot is the usual way to make another mat.
Can I grow it in a trough or a pot?
A gritty alpine trough in full sun can hold a young plant if water leaves the mix. It is not a houseplant. A windowsill pot of ordinary mix stays too wet.
Do I prune it?
No. Leave the evergreen mat. You may snip a dead stem, but do not cut into the old woody base.
Can I use the leaves as tea?
Grow this plant for the mat and the white flowers. Do not brew the leaves.
Is 'Minor' or yellow mountain avens a second kind we sell?
No. The plant we list is Dryas octopetala, the white eight-petal mat. Yellow mountain avens is a cousin we do not list. Compact shop names still want the same sun and grit.
What is the national flower of Iceland?
That trivia is about this plant. Grow the evergreen mat in sun and grit.
What does the mountain avens flower symbolize?
Grow it for the white flowers and the silky seed heads, not for a tattoo meaning.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Royal Horticultural Society -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/6152/dryas-octopetala/details - [2] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DROCO - [3] University of Washington ESRM 412 -
https://courses.washington.edu/esrm412/protocols/2015/DROC.pdf - [4] Useful Temperate Plants -
https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Dryas+octopetala
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors