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. A handful of Yum Yum Mix and a little compost in each planting hole is adequate.
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.
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
How quickly does ice plant propagate?
If they reside in an environment that is too cold, the Ice Plant is prone to extinction. Fortunately, if you live indoors, you won’t have to worry about them growing back under these circumstances.
For their small, these succulents can cover a decent amount of ground. They can expand to a width of up to four feet. They usually don’t grow much during this process, which only takes a few brief months.
Aloe and other succulents have been utilized for a variety of purposes. The Ice Plant operates similarly. Their leaves are harmless to both people and animals. Others can brew teas out of them, while other people use them in salads.
Are ice plants regenerated annually?
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.
Is the ice plant a houseplant?
I prefer plants that serve two purposes, ones that can be used in both outdoor and inside landscaping. A plant that precisely fits that description was given to me by a friend who enjoys gardening last year.
Good day, time traveler! Information in this post may no longer be accurate as it was published on 9/11/2017, which is 1710 days ago.
The plant she gave me is called Aptenia cordifolia ‘Variegata’ and is also known as variegated ice plant or heartleaf ice plant. She gave me the plant at the end of the growing season, and I enjoyed it in my sunroom during the winter. This summer, I moved it outside, where it put on a lovely display.
Some of you may be familiar with the Delosperma, or ice plant, which we cultivate as an annual flower. The plant I was given is not the same as this one.
The annual ice plant, which is cultivated from seeds, has green leaves and stunning purple, yellow, white, pink, or orange blooms. The term “ice plant” comes from how the green leaves shimmer in the sun.
The spherical green leaves’ surfaces are covered in tiny calcium crystals that reflect and retract light, giving them an ice-crystal-like sheen. To contrast with the more vivid petal color, the petite, single flowers frequently have white centers that are elegantly fringed.
Due to its extreme drought tolerance, ice plants make excellent plants for hot, dry areas in the garden. In fact, overwatering an ice plant will frequently cause it to rot and die. It can be planted in window boxes and pots, where its trailing growth habit will cause it to spill over the edge of containers, or as a ground cover.
Due to their low growth rate and ability to crawl across the soil’s surface, these plants, which only reach heights of 10-15 cm, look attractive at the front of a border. When the sun is shining, the brightly colored blooms will draw a lot of attention.
Although it is a separate genus, variegated ice plant is a member of the same plant family as common ice plant. It is a creeping succulent with three-cm-long, cream-and-green variegated leaves.
Its foliage is what makes it a good indoor plant; unless it is placed in front of a sunny south window, where it might produce some flower in late spring, it is unlikely to blossom indoors. I plant it indoors because of the lovely foliage.
The leaves don’t shimmer like those of Aptenia cordifolia; they are smooth. Individual leaves don’t lay flat; instead, they usually have a small cup-like shape. The leaves are juicy and meaty.
The trailing growth tendency of the variegated ice plant will eventually cause it to flow over the side of its container and cascade downward. If you use careful pinching, the stems will branch and a fuller plant will result.
Despite having magenta, pink, and white types, the specimen I have blooms bright red outdoors in the summer. This is one plant that dislikes being chilled, so I wait to put it outside in the spring until the nighttime lows are consistently over 10 C.
When it’s in the sunroom during the winter, I put it in a bright spot that’s far enough from the door and windows from keep it from becoming cold. The plant is typically kept in a container that is suspended from the ceiling, which further prevents the plant from being chilled because heat naturally rises in a room.
Since ice plants, particularly variegated ice plants, are tropical plants with South African origins, they are not at all cold-hardy. Frost will destroy annual forms, and they won’t survive an outdoor winter even though they will self-seed. Variegated ice plants cannot endure our harsh winters outside.
Variegated ice plants require only minimal watering, like the majority of succulents. Before adding more water, the soil needs to almost entirely dry out. The soil can be soaked and then left to drain outdoors in a container with good drainage, but indoors during the winter, this would be too much water.
Overwatering will cause the plant’s leaves to become limp, turn yellow, and eventually die. The plant should only receive very little watering over the winter, just enough to keep it alive.
The rapid growth tendency of variegated ice plants is prized; by the end of the winter, a pot of slips will grow into a nice-sized plant. In slightly moistened soilless mix, cuttings take root readily, and numerous of them, each approximately 6 cm long, will fill a good, full pot.
Variegated ice plant would work well as a trailer in a mixed container, even if I have not tried using it in this manner. To avoid being overpowered by its neighbors, it would need to be put directly at the front of the container.
I prefer to admire this pretty plant in its own pot as a specimen plant. With its appealing cream and green leaves and (in the summer) its exquisite red blossoms, it competes both inside and in the outdoor garden.