The term “ice plant” refers to a variety of taxa and species. Lampranthus and Delosperma are among the two most well-known genera. Warm-weather perennials with vividly colorful flowers, these plants. The term “ice plant” refers to the plant’s microscopic hairs, which reflect light in a way that makes them look like ice crystals. The foliage is thick and succulent-like and changes color as the temperatures fall in the fall. Many varieties of ice plants are evergreen when it is warm.
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Depending on the type, ice plants can appear as anything from a spreading ground cover to a bushy subshrub. Typically, they start flowering in the spring and keep doing so all through the growing season. In sunny locations, several species bloom almost the entire summer. In milder areas, growing ice plants by mid-summer is ideal; however, fall planting is favored in hotter climes. The species often have a rapid pace of growth.
Are Ice Plants reborn each year?
Are Ice Plants Resurrected Each Year? Although this plant remains evergreen for the majority of the year, the winter months cause the foliage to die back. But throughout the early to late spring season, fresh growth appears from the seed.
Do ice plants require full sunlight?
Ice plant quickly creates a low carpet of succulent foliage that adds texture and interest even when these sun-loving perennials are not in bloom, making them ideal for sunny slopes or rock gardens. Once established, there are few plants that are simpler to manage because they don’t need any specific maintenance. The term “ice plant” refers to the tiny, shimmering spots that appear to be ice crystals on the leaf. Ice plant, which may reach a height of 6 to 8 inches, blooms all summer long with vivid daisy-like flowers in purple, pink, or yellow. It resists drought and deer. Zones 5-9.
If you have any inquiries about caring for ice plants, please email us, and one of our specialists will respond.
Ice Plant Growing Instructions
Ice plants need a bright location with at least 6 to 8 hours of daily direct sunlight. Although it can survive little shade, it doesn’t blossom as much.
Put it in a soil that drains nicely. The ice plant despises clay and poorly draining soils; if it is planted in an area where there is persistent standing water, it frequently perishes. Ice plants should be planted on a hillside or slope where the soil will swiftly drain after a storm for the greatest results. It works well on raised beds and mounds as well.
Pruning the ice plant is not a concern. This low-maintenance groundcover doesn’t require fertilizing in the majority of soil types, although you can if you’d like.
Add these types to your Ice Plant to complete it:
Agave A few Agaves scattered around the bed will provide an Ice Plant border drama and interest.
Island poppies Iceland Poppy can be used to add splashes of vibrant spring color to your Ice Plant.
Together, Sedum Sedums and Ice Plant make a wonderful combo because they are both equally tolerant of drought and have beautiful leaves.
Varieties: Our Favorites
On sunny, well-drained areas, the classic type of Ice Plant’s gem-like, reddish-purple flowers spread a colorful carpet. From June through September, it blooms. It expands to be 24 inches broad and 6 inches tall. Zones 6-10
Garnet is a wonderful member of the Jewel of the Desert family and blooms from spring to fall with reddish-pink flowers. The Jewel of the Desert Garnet has a 24 inch width and a 6 inch height. Zones 5-9
With the snow-white blossoms of the ice plant “Desert Moonstone,” you may cool up hot, sunny areas of your landscaping. The center of each blossom is bright yellow. It blooms from spring through fall and is 6 inches tall and 24 inches broad. Zones 5-9
A must-have choice for rock gardens and slopes, “Peridot” ice plant has bright yellow flowers with white centers. It grows to a 6-inch-tall, cheery groundcover that can withstand drought. From late spring through early October, it blooms. Zones 5-9
This variety features blossoms that are colorful! The flower has a white center that heats to a golden-yellow, then an orange, and ultimately a red color at the margins. It expands to be 24 inches broad and 6 inches tall. Zones 5-9
‘Jewels of the Desert Topaz’ ice plant produces multitudes of amber flowers with white centers all through the summer. It is hardy in Zones 5-9. It grows just 6 to 8 inches tall, like other ice plant kinds.
This perennial groundcover has many benefits, including slow growth, tolerance to dryness, and lengthy flowering. It blooms intermittently from spring to fall, reaching heights of 6 inches and a width of 24 inches. Zones 6-9
Wow! Hot pink flowers are intermittently available all season long on this simple groundcover. Furthermore, it is almost “plant it and forget it” easy to maintain. The Wheels of Wonder Hot Pink ice plant spreads out to be 24 inches wide and 6 inches tall. Zones 6-9
If you want vibrant orange blossoms in your garden, plant this low-maintenance groundcover. It grows 6 inches tall and 24 inches broad and blooms intermittently during the spring, summer, and fall. Zones 6-9
Where can I find Ice Plants?
Delosperma cultivation success factors include:
- Plant them in soil that drains quickly and in a sunny location. It is excellent to have sandy, sandy loam, or gravelly soils. Garden loam is OK in drier climes, but avoid clay everywhere.
- In colder climates, plant by mid-summer to establish themselves for the winter. In Southwest US regions with scorching summers, fall planting is advised.
- As Delosperma originate from regions of South Africa that receive summer rains, water them frequently (weekly) throughout the summer heat.
- But during the winter, keep them dry. I advise covering the plants with a piece of row crop cover (frost blanket) in areas where snow accumulates on the ground during the winter to keep the foliage and crowns dry.
- When the stems of ice plants grow over the top of the gravel, which keeps their roots damp and their leaves and stems dry, they thrive and adore the gravel mulch (by not sitting in contact with wet soil over the winter). Pine needles or medium grained bark pieces are two other quick-drying mulch options.
- By ceasing or drastically reducing their irrigation in the fall, allow them to completely dry out. In preparation for the upcoming harsh winter, they must contract and become harder. By the first heavy frost in late fall, lush, vigorously growing plants frequently perish.
- In mid-spring, remove any stems that have sustained winter damage.
- Use only one application of organic or natural fertilizer in the fall. When fertilized often during the growth season, ice plants are extremely vulnerable to winter mortality because they continue to grow into the fall and remain plump with water in their leaves.
- Space new transplants 15–18″ apart (closer for smaller rock garden varieties) and prepare the soil as little as possible to cover bigger areas with Ice Plants. Each planting hole just has to have a small amount of compost and a handful of Yum Yum Mix.
The winner of the 2016 Plant Select Award is Delosperma “Alan’s Apricot.” Long blooming and extremely cold resilient, Alan Tower of Denver, Colorado has introduced a new hybrid. Next to “Lesotho Pink,” “D. congestum,” and “D. nubiginum,” it may be the most cold-resistant. The shrub has enormous pink flowers that become apricot as the summer progresses. The pastel-colored blossom is best showcased in some midday shade.
Red Mountain Flame of Delosperma dyeri is the 2015 Plant Select Award winner. This is my introduction, which I found in a collection of seed-grown Delosperma dyeri plants that had unintentionally crossed with another species. Large scarlet-orange blossoms cover the shrub for about 4 weeks starting in the middle of spring. Up to zone 6, this choice is consistently cold hardy. When I say that you should wear sunglasses to see the vivid blossoms in the midday sun, I’m not joking. Flame is suggested for planting places that are hotter and drier because of its great heat tolerance.
The greatest long-blooming variety of Delosperma ashtonii is called “Blut,” and it has dark magenta blooms that cover its somewhat flattened, dark green leaves. The attractive foliage is consistently evergreen and develops a lovely plum color in the winter for added decorative impact. This ice plant is extraordinarily long-lived and has good cold resistance. discovered by Kelly Grummons, a nurseryman from Arvada, Colorado.
Winner of the 2009 Plant Select Award is Delosperma Lavender Ice. A lovely, long-blooming variety that spends the majority of the growing season covered with enormous pastel lavender-pink flowers. For best results, combine “Lavender Ice” with “Blut” and other ice plants with magenta or pink flowers. Over the winter, the normally evergreen foliage takes on a reddish hue. introduced by Rye, Colorado’s Perennial Favorites Nursery.
I chose the exceptional variety of Delosperma sp. “Lesotho Pink” from seed that was obtained at a height of 11.000 feet in the high highlands of Lesotho (the mountainous, landlocked country in the middle of South Africa). Brilliant pink blooms cover the tight-growing mat of bright green leaves that emerges in the early to midspring. Very hardy, this Ice Plant blooms early in the spring among the hardy Ice Plants. Does best in locations with cooler summers and higher elevations; not a good choice in hot climates. In the sweltering summer, needs water.
Plant Select Award Winner for 2012: Delosperma Fire Spinner. Late April is when Fire Spinner’s fiery orange and purple flowers bloom, covering the shrub. The focal point of your late spring garden will be a substantial planting of it. It should be noted that planting Fire Spinner in areas with warm winters will prevent the plant from flowering. In zones 5-8, flowering is at its best.
Are Ice Plants Winter-Proof?
Delosperma, a succulent perennial ground cover with daisy-like flowers, is known as the hardy ice plant. The reason the ice plant is called an ice plant—rather than because it can withstand freezing temperatures—is because its blossoms and foliage appear to be sparkling with frost or ice crystals. The plants eventually reach heights of 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 cm) and widths of 2 to 4 feet (0.5 to 1 m).
The majority of the summer and fall are when ice plant blooms bloom. They may be grown in USDA plant hardiness zones 5–9. Because the majority of their foliage is evergreen, they make excellent year-round ground covers. Despite being evergreen, the plant frequently experiences some wintertime foliage dieback.
Among the most well-known ice plant variants are:
- Ice factory Cooper’s (Delosperma cooperi) The most prevalent type is this purple ice plant.
- robust yellow (Delosperma brunnthaleri)
- This plant has beautiful yellow flowers.
- A type of ice plant called Starburst (Delosperma floribundum) has pink blooms with a white center.
Are ice plants contagious?
The succulent evergreen has three-sided leaves that grow into a thick, mushy mat of green on the plant with dazzling blossoms. The common ice plant has a growth range of six inches to one foot with a root structure that spreads quickly. It is a fantastic choice as a groundcover due to its striking foliage and warm season color. Depending on the kind, the common ice plant bears tiny, aster-like flowers in hues of red, pink, purple, or magenta. From early July until the fall, the flowers are spectacular. Its blooms do not set seed and are infertile. Use it in sunny gardens, train it to fall down a wall, or plant it near pools and water features or in rock gardens. In severely degraded locations, the common ice plant can also be used as a bank cover by embedding roots in the ground. As a result of its tolerance for salty environments, it is a great choice for beachside landscaping. When the plant is young, cover it with chicken wire to prevent rabbits from eating it. The ice plant is indigenous to South Africa, Chile, and the Pacific coast from Oregon to Baja California. Its scientific name, Chilensis, is derived from Chile’s Latin name. In some places, the plant has the potential to spread rapidly.
How does an ice plant appear throughout the winter?
Large, stunning lavender-pink flowers and an orderly mat of evergreen foliage that turns purplish in the winter are features of the Lavender Ice Ice Plant. Large, exquisite lavender-pink blooms and a neat mat of evergreen foliage that turns purplish in the winter are features of the drought-tolerant/drought-resistant ‘Lavender Ice’ Ice Plant.
Can ice plants be grown in containers?
A natural environment for an ice plant does not have very cold temperatures. They are therefore excellent possibilities for a native-born person. Despite being simple to keep happy, you’ll need to give them a few necessities along the way.
SOIL
Plants in the Aizoaceae family have a strong affinity for the type of soil they grow in. Since they tend to retain water, dense soils like clay tend to have a detrimental effect on them.
Instead, you should place your Ice Plant in a container or pot with neutral pH-level soil that is well-draining. We advise utilizing a blend of loam, gravel, and sand.
LIGHT
You probably learned in school that indoor plants shouldn’t be exposed to too much sunshine. The Ice Plant, however, refutes this hypothesis.
In contrast to your orchids, lilies, and roses, ice plants require sunlight. Although they may grow in little shade, they thrive in direct sunlight. You now have more placement options for this throughout your house.
WATERING
Ice Plants, which have the ability to store water in their leaves, are well known for withstanding droughts. They still need a regular watering regimen in spite of this. You should anticipate to water your ice plant once a week, but more on that later in the essay.
Can ice plants be kept inside?
The blossoms of the ice plant must be in full sunlight for them to open. Inside, a south or west-facing window’s direct, bright light will do. The plant requires full light all day long outside or, in hotter climes, full sun in the morning and little afternoon shade. The ideal growing medium for ice plants is light, well-drained soil. High-quality potting soil and an equal amount of coarse sand are necessary for plants grown in containers in order to provide appropriate drainage. Indoor plants should be grown in containers with drainage holes, while outdoor plants should be spaced at least 12 to 18 inches apart to allow for growth.
- Depending on the variety, the ice plant, also known as Lampranthus, bears lovely, daisy-like flowers in hues of red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, or cream.
- The plant requires full light all day long outside or, in hotter climes, full sun in the morning and little afternoon shade.