Hardy ice plant

Sun

Full sun; flowers open best in direct sunshine and close in dull weather.

Water

Low once established. Water new plants when the root zone dries; established plants usually need extra water only during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Sandy, gravelly or rocky soil with excellent drainage. Avoid heavy clay and sites that stay wet in winter; use a raised bed or gritty container mix where necessary.

Height

0.25-0.5 ft (0.08-0.15 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring through summer, sometimes into autumn; magenta-purple flowers with pale centres.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, fleshy, narrow green leaves with a fine, sparkling surface texture. Foliage may turn reddish-purple in cold weather and can die back in colder climates.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm, sunny conditions.

Care needed

Low

• Plant in spring in colder regions so roots establish before winter.
• Let the soil dry between waterings; do not keep the root zone constantly moist.
• Use gravel around the crown rather than moisture-holding bark mulch.
• Feed sparingly; a light spring application of balanced fertiliser is enough in poor soil or containers.
• Keep fallen leaves off the mat in autumn to reduce trapped moisture and rot.

Pruning. In spring, trim out dead or frost-damaged stems once new growth shows what has survived. Shorten sprawling shoots after flowering if needed to keep the mat within bounds; routine deadheading is unnecessary.

Spring

Remove dead stems and check that the crown and surrounding soil drain freely.

Late spring

Plant new specimens after severe frosts have passed, leaving room for the mats to spread.

Early summer

Take short, non-flowering stem cuttings and root them in a sharply drained mix.

Summer

Water newly planted specimens when dry; water established mats only during prolonged drought.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves and check that gravel has not buried the crowns.

Winter

Keep containers out of persistent rain where possible, in a bright, sheltered position with open drainage holes.

• Let it spill over a sunny retaining wall for a low curtain of flowers.
• Plant between rocks in a raised rock garden, where roots stay clear of standing water.
• Use small drifts along gravel paths with compact stonecrops and blue fescue for contrasting textures.
• Grow in shallow containers with other hardy succulents that need the same dry conditions.

Garden styles it suits: Dry gravel garden, Desert / xeriscape, Mediterranean, Alpine rock garden, Low-maintenance and Small-space.

Plant it with: Hens and chicks, Blue fescue, Creeping thyme, English lavender and Low-growing stonecrops.

Wildlife: Open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other visiting insects. Deer and rabbits often leave the succulent foliage alone, but browsing is still possible.

• Root or crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move healthy pieces to a raised, gritty bed; discard rotting material.
• Winter dieback: avoid damp, exposed sites and wait until spring growth appears before removing damaged stems.
• Few flowers in shade: move to a position receiving at least six hours of direct sun.
• Mealybugs, especially under cover: isolate affected pots, remove visible insects and use a labelled insecticidal soap if needed.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no plant parts are recognised as poisonous. Species-specific safety information is limited, particularly for horses, so do not treat it as an edible plant or animal feed.

• Hardy yellow ice plant (Delosperma nubigenum)

  Has yellow flowers and shorter, broader leaves; its flowering period is generally shorter.

• Trailing ice plant (Lampranthus spectabilis)

  Forms longer, increasingly woody stems with thicker, distinctly three-angled leaves and is much less cold-hardy.

• Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis)

  Much larger overall, with long, thick, triangular leaves and larger flowers that usually open yellow and age pink.

Delosperma means 'visible seed', referring to its seed capsules, cooperi honours plant collector Thomas Cooper, and 'ice plant' refers to the sparkling cells on the foliage.

Propagation. Take short stem cuttings in late spring or summer, allow cut ends to dry briefly, then insert into a gritty mix kept only lightly moist. Rooted sections of an established mat can also be separated in spring. Seed-grown plants may vary, especially where other Delosperma species or hybrids grow nearby.

Accepted botanical name

Delosperma cooperi

Native range

Free State and Lesotho.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.