Bergenia ciliata

Those of you familiar with spring perennials will probably recognize this plant with little difficulty -- it's no doubt a Bergenia.  The tall cymelike inflorescence is a giveaway.  I've never employed Bergenias often, though I can't say why.  They're relatively tough plants, but perhaps a bit awkward for use en masse and at the same time, too diminutive to use as a specimen.

Closer inspection of the leaves cancels out any assumption this plant is the most popular species of Bergenia - B. cordifolia. The leaves on that species aren't hairy like this one.  In fact, the common name for B. cordifolia is pigsqueak because of the noise those leaves make when rubbed together.

This species is B. ciliata, justifiably referring to the hairs on the leaves.  Bergenias are native to mountainous areas of central Asia, such as the Himalayas and Afghanistan.  I'd hazard a guess that this species is native to an arid climate and the hairs on the leaves are employed to capture moisture from the air, much like plants native to desert climates.