DR HAHNLE FAIRY STARFLOWER (FAIRY FOXGLOVE)

Erinus alpinus, commonly called fairy foxglove, is a compact perennial native to rocky mountain habitats across central and southern Europe, where it colonizes cliff faces, old stone walls, and alpine screes with ease. The plant forms low, semi-evergreen rosettes that throw up a profusion of small, five-petaled flowers in a saturated rose-pink — the 'Dr. Hähnle' selection runs toward a particularly deep carmine. Reaching only a few inches tall, it suits dry stone walls, rock gardens, and the edges of gravel paths, where its preference for sharp drainage and lean soil is readily accommodated. Bees and smaller pollinators visit the flowers reliably.