Cylindrical Rock Jasmine (Cylindrical Androsace) care

Light

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine needs sun on the leaves, not just bright ambient room light. Requires maximum, unobstructed sunlight all day. Native to south-facing vertical limestone cliff faces in the central Pyrenees at high altitude. In cultivation, an open alpine house bench position or an exposed south-facing vertical tufa face provides the most appropriate conditions. Any shade is detrimental. A south or west-facing windowsill in the northern hemisphere is the default; anywhere else, expect the plant to stretch and pale out within a season.

Watering

Water cylindrical rock jasmine very sparingly; almost none in winter. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Extremely sensitive to overwatering at all times of year. Moisten the root zone very lightly during the brief spring growing season only. From late summer to early spring keep the plant essentially dry. Never water from above — moisture in the tight cylindrical rosettes causes immediate rot. Bottom watering or capillary mat systems suit this species best.

Soil and pot

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine grows best in vertical tufa crevice or pure limestone grit. Best grown wedged into crevices of natural tufa rock, which provides a stable, moisture-buffering, alkaline, and porous root environment. In pots, use 80–90% fine limestone grit with minimal loam; alkaline pH (7.0–8.0) is essential as the species is strictly calcicole. No organic material in the mix. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine sits happiest at around Very low, 15–30% RH humidity and -25°C to 15°C (-13°F to 59°F). Inhabits desiccating limestone cliff environments with very low humidity and strong air movement. In cultivation, the alpine house must be kept well-ventilated at all times. Stagnant humid air at any season causes rapid cushion collapse. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed cylindrical rock jasmine sparingly. None. The species is adapted to near-sterile limestone cliff substrate. Fertiliser of any kind promotes abnormal soft growth incompatible with the tight cylindrical rosette form and increases susceptibility to fungal disease. The lime-rich grit provides all required calcium and trace minerals. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on cylindrical rock jasmine in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Irreversible cushion rot — Any moisture reaching the rosette centres, particularly in cool or humid conditions, rapidly triggers lethal fungal rot. Prevention through alpine house cultivation, near-dry winter management, and vertical tufa planting is the only reliable approach; affected sections cannot be saved.
• Failure on non-calcareous substrates — This strict endemic calcicole declines rapidly on acidic or lime-free growing media, showing yellowing, poor growth, and failure to flower. Alkaline, lime-rich limestone grit or genuine tufa is the non-negotiable substrate requirement.
• Extremely slow establishment — Even under ideal alpine house conditions, this species grows only a few millimetres per year. Impatient management — repotting too frequently or disturbing the root run — sets growth back by seasons. Handle only when strictly necessary and treat as a long-term specimen.

Propagation

Exceptionally difficult. The only practical method is detaching the tiniest peripheral rosettes as micro-cuttings in early summer and rooting in pure limestone grit in a cool, well-ventilated alpine house frame, keeping them almost completely dry. Seed sown fresh in autumn into lime-rich grit and cold-conditioned over winter may germinate sporadically the following spring; germination rates are very low. This species is rarely available outside specialist alpine societies and seed exchanges. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine is pet-safe. Androsace cylindrica is not individually listed by ASPCA. The genus Androsace (family Primulaceae) has no documented toxic principles. Based on family-level characteristics and specialist horticultural literature, it is considered non-toxic to dogs and cats. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine deep-dive guides

Every aspect of cylindrical rock jasmine care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common cylindrical rock jasmine problems & fixes
• Cylindrical Rock Jasmine watering schedule
• Cylindrical Rock Jasmine light requirements
• Best soil mix for cylindrical rock jasmine
• Cylindrical Rock Jasmine fertilizing guide
• When to repot cylindrical rock jasmine
• How to propagate cylindrical rock jasmine
• How to prune cylindrical rock jasmine
• What's eating my cylindrical rock jasmine?
• Cylindrical Rock Jasmine growth rate & size
• Cylindrical Rock Jasmine cold hardiness
• Cylindrical Rock Jasmine temperature & humidity
• Is cylindrical rock jasmine toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is cylindrical rock jasmine toxic to cats?
• Is cylindrical rock jasmine toxic to dogs?
• All 7 Androsace varieties
• Getting cylindrical rock jasmine to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine qualifies for 9 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Cylindrical Rock Jasmine is also commonly called Cylindrical Rock Jasmine or Cylindrical Androsace.

• Narrow-leaved Gentian care — light, water and common problems
• Alpine Pink care — light, water and common problems
• Sand Pink care — light, water and common problems
• All 8452 plant care guides in the Growli library