Lifelike model celebrates rare Arctic-alpine as it comes into bloom
Kioko Terauchi, a retired plant lover from Japan who spends time each year in Gwynedd, has created an astonishingly lifelike model of the purple saxifrage (saxifraga oppositifolia) — one of Eryri’s (Snowdonia’s) most hardy Arctic-alpine wild plants.
Purple Saxifrage, or the Opposite-leaved saxifrage as it’s also known, is the first to bloom each year in the Cwm Idwal National Nature Reserve, often as early as mid-February. It is not unusual for it to appear whilst snow still covers the mountains, although the flowering season changes depending on the winter weather.
It was during a visit in March 2024 that the purple saxifrage caught Kioko Terauchi’s attention. Inspired by the hardy little plant, she created a model made out of air-drying resin clay, thin wire, oil colours and wood glue to help others appreciate and understand it.
Explaining the creative process, Kioko said:
"I do research and design planning before making models, and knowing the wonder of plant life is the most interesting part.
“Every visit to Gwynedd, I am impressed by the nature and the efforts to protect it. I make flower models of only those which I have seen, being asked by the plants, ‘make me and show me to the people!’”
Kioko also volunteers at a local museum in Japan, which aims to help protect alpine plants.
Rhys Wheldon-Roberts, Cwm Idwal Partnership Officer, said:
“Cwm Idwal National Nature Reserve is home to some of Wales’ rarest arctic alpine plants, and they are especially vulnerable to the effects of a warming climate.
“These plants depend on cold, stable conditions, they are at the very edge of their habitable range in Eryri, and any change in the climate will likely affect the plants here first. Therefore, tackling climate change is essential if we’re to protect the fragile alpine habitats that make this place so special.
“We are hugely grateful to Kioko for crafting such a wonderful model of the purple saxifrage. It offers a powerful way to share the story of these extraordinary plants and highlight the threats they face in a changing climate.”
A remarkable plant, purple saxifrage is one of the most northerly flowering plants on Earth, with records reaching as far as the north coast of Greenland. The name ‘tormaen’ in Welsh and ‘saxifraga’ in Latin translates as ‘stonebreaker’, reflecting its remarkable ability to thrive in the harshest rocky terrain.
The plant also has a unique way of shedding excess lime through tiny glands on its leaves, leaving delicate white specks that help identify it. Even its Welsh name, ‘cyferbynddail’, perfectly describes its paired leaves and distinctive form.
The Cwm Idwal Partnership includes National Trust Cymru, Natural Resources Wales and Eryri National Park.