Mountain Lover (Paxistima canbyi): Native Evergreen Subshrub

Mountain lover, also called rat stripper, cliff-green, or Canby's paxistima, is a low, spreading, evergreen subshrub with small, leathery, dark green leaves. It forms a dense mat and produces tiny, inconspicuous, greenish flowers in spring.

Botanical Profile

Native to the Appalachian Mountains, this plant prefers partial shade and well-drained, rocky soil. It's excellent for rock gardens, slopes, and native plantings. Slow-growing but very long-lived. Deer resistant. Endangered in some states.