Conandron is a genus that consists of a single species of small ornamental alpine perennials native to Japan, south-east China and Taiwan. The botanical name comes from the Greek, meaning “cone-shaped anther”. These plants are almost stemless herbs with radical glabrous, rugose, thick wrinkled leaves in flat tufts with leaves about 6″ long. Erect flowering stems emerge from the ground, bearing numerous pretty lilac and white, star-shaped blossoms with bright purple centers in summer.
The plants typically grow on damp mossy rocks, and are tolerant of light frost, especially if sheltered by insulating snow and if they are not subject to wet soil during the winter.