snow arnica
Arnica frigida · Asteraceae
snow arnica (Arnica frigida) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 1 and warmer, down to about -62°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 1 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.5–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 1 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. Its drought tolerance is rated none — it needs reliable moisture. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 1.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 110 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 120 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and container stock. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Arnica
- clasping arnica Arnica amplexicaulis
- Chamisso arnica Arnica chamissonis
- heartleaf arnica Arnica cordifolia
- rayless arnica Arnica ×diversifolia
Similar role and hardiness
- eightpetal mountain-avens Dryas octopetala
- red currant Ribes triste
- arctic raspberry Rubus arcticus
- arctic dock Rumex arcticus
- lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ARFR2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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