Prostrate to upright evergreen shrubs with tiny elliptic, densely scaly leaves.The small flowers are pale magenta-rose to purple and appear in late winter to very early spring.A great species for its frost resistant early flowers.Most forms very difficult if not impossible to cultivate.Parvifolium Group from coastal NE Asia is the exception.Native to a wide variety of habitats over a huge range in the circumpolar regions of North America and N Eurasia
1978/017C. Desch(-20).Wild collected from Mt. Washington, New Hampshire.
1978/066(Parvifolium Group)Glendoick(-25\R2\2).This is a fine upright selection with rose-purple flowers in late winter.
