Trailing ice plant

Sun

Full sun; flowering is poor in shade, and flowers close in dull weather.

Water

Low once established. Water during prolonged dry spells, allowing the soil to dry between waterings; keep almost dry in winter.

Soil

Sharply drained, sandy or gravelly soil. Avoid heavy clay and sites that stay wet in winter.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

A main flush in spring to early summer, sometimes followed by scattered flowers; typically magenta or purple-pink.

Foliage

Evergreen. Fleshy, narrow, grey-green leaves on spreading stems that become woody with age.

Growth

Fast in warm weather with suitable drainage.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant after frost risk has passed, in a sunny position with excellent drainage.
• Water new plants until rooted, then let the soil dry between thorough waterings.
• Use containers with drainage holes and a gritty cactus or succulent potting mix.
• Avoid rich feeding; container plants need only an occasional weak feed during active growth.
• Use gravel rather than moisture-retaining organic mulch around the crown.
• Move pots into a bright, frost-free shelter before winter in colder climates.

Pruning. After the main flowering flush, lightly shorten straggly shoots and remove dead stems. Avoid cutting hard into old, leafless wood, which may not regrow.

Spring

Remove frost-damaged or dead shoots once new growth shows which stems are alive.

Late spring

Plant outdoors or move overwintered pots outside after frost risk has passed, gradually acclimatising them to direct sun.

Early summer

Lightly trim after the main flowering flush to keep plants compact.

Summer

Take non-flowering shoot cuttings and root them in a gritty mix.

Autumn

Reduce watering as growth slows and move containers under cover before frost.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants bright and almost dry; check outdoor plants for standing water around their roots.

• Trail it over a sunny retaining wall to soften the edge with foliage and spring flowers.
• Use it as groundcover on a sharply drained bank in a mild climate.
• Plant it in wide containers beside upright succulents for contrasting shapes.
• Combine it with low, drought-tolerant plants in a gravel garden, leaving room for its spreading stems.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Desert / xeriscape, Coastal, Dry gravel garden, Modern Mediterranean and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Lavender, Santolina, Rock rose, Blue fescue, Echeveria and Aloe.

Wildlife: Open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other visiting insects.

• Root and stem rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and take healthy cuttings if the base begins to collapse.
• Frost damage: protect from freezing temperatures or overwinter containers in a bright, frost-free place.
• Mealybugs on sheltered or container-grown plants: isolate affected pots and treat with a product labelled for mealybugs on succulents.
• Sparse flowers and loose growth in shade: move the plant to full sun and avoid excessive fertiliser.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but reliable species-specific safety information is limited. No particular part is established as poisonous; do not treat the leaves or flowers as food.

Where it spreads. Can escape cultivation in coastal southern Australia, including Victoria and South Australia. Keep spreading stems and garden waste out of native dunes and coastal scrub.

• Hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi)

  Usually forms a lower mat with finer, cylindrical leaves covered in tiny glistening bumps. It is considerably more cold-hardy than Lampranthus spectabilis.

• Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis)

  Has much larger, thick, distinctly three-sided leaves and heavier creeping stems. Its flowers usually open yellow and may fade pink; it forms extensive mats.

Lampranthus comes from Greek words meaning 'bright flower', while spectabilis means 'showy' or 'remarkable' in Latin.

Propagation. Take short, non-flowering stem cuttings in spring or summer. Let the cut ends dry for a day or two, then insert into a gritty propagation mix and water sparingly until rooted.

Accepted botanical name

Lampranthus spectabilis

Native range

Cape Provinces.

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