Delosperma "Ice Plant" - Drought-Proof Color Splash

 

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Delosperma: A Jewel in the Drought-Hardy Crown

Delosperma, commonly known as Ice Plant, hails from the arid and rocky slopes of South Africa, where survival depends on resilience and brilliance. These succulents, members of the Aizoaceae family, thrive where others falter—basking in full sun, laughing at poor soil, and enduring long droughts. Their name, from the Greek delos meaning “visible” and sperma meaning “seed,” hints at the exposed nature of their seeds, though most gardeners today know them best for their daisy-like blooms in luminous hues of magenta, orange, gold, and even iridescent fuchsia. Like jewels scattered across gravel beds or between stepping stones, they brighten even the most Spartan landscape.

In gardens, Delosperma offers more than color. As evergreen groundcovers, they form dense mats that suppress weeds and cling tightly to slopes, making them perfect for erosion control and rock gardens. While not known for medicinal use in the traditional Western sense, some Delosperma species have been used in Southern African folk medicine for respiratory ailments and soothing skin irritations. But their modern charm lies in low-maintenance landscaping. Cold-hardy varieties like Delosperma cooperi can survive surprising chill, while others revel in dry, sun-scorched patios. Plant them in containers, tuck them into wall crevices, or let them spill over retaining walls with carefree grace.

Ready to add brilliance without the backache? Plant Delosperma in well-drained soil and full sun—and watch your garden sparkle. Visit GoGardenNow.com to discover top-performing Delosperma varieties perfect for your region.

 

Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Peridot' PP23566 - Dazzling Color for the Garden

Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Peridot' PP23566, commonly known as Iceplant, is a hardy, low-maintenance perennial that brings dazzling color to any garden. This compact, mat-forming succulent features lush, green foliage that serves as a perfect ground cover, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil. Its starry, daisy-like flowers shine in a striking yellow-green hue with a golden center, creating a bright and cheerful display from spring through fall. Exceptionally long-blooming and drought-tolerant, 'Peridot' is perfect for rock gardens, borders, and container plantings, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies while requiring minimal care.

If you're looking for a vibrant, low-water solution to enhance your garden, Delosperma Jewel of Desert 'Peridot' is the perfect choice! Its resilience against heat, poor soil, and even cold temperatures down to USDA Zone 5 makes it an excellent option for gardeners of all experience levels. Plus, it's deer-resistant and thrives in tough conditions, making it ideal for xeriscaping and low-maintenance landscapes. Add this stunning variety to your garden today and enjoy season-long color with virtually no effort—your outdoor space will thank you!

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Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Moonstone' PP23491 - Months of Radiant Blooms!

 

Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Moonstone' PP23491, commonly known as Iceplant, is a dazzling, drought-tolerant perennial that delivers continuous color from spring through fall. This low-growing succulent forms a dense mat of fleshy, green foliage, making it an excellent ground cover for dry, sunny areas. Its vibrant daisy-like flowers feature a captivating blend of soft lilac and pale pink petals with a golden-yellow center, creating a luminous, eye-catching display. Highly resilient and easy to grow, 'Moonstone' thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, attracting pollinators while requiring little maintenance.

Bring effortless beauty and long-lasting color to your garden with Delosperma Jewel of Desert 'Moonstone'! Its exceptional heat, drought, and cold tolerance (hardy to USDA Zone 5) make it a perfect choice for xeriscaping, rock gardens, borders, and container plantings. Plus, its deer-resistant nature ensures your blooms stay untouched. Whether planted alone or combined with other succulents, this variety provides a stunning, carefree display. Don't miss out—add 'Moonstone' to your garden today and enjoy months of radiant blooms with minimal effort!

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Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Opal' PP27056 - Exceptional Performance

Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Opal' PP27056, commonly known as Iceplant, is a vigorous, drought-tolerant perennial that brings a stunning splash of color to gardens and landscapes. This low-growing succulent forms a dense mat of fleshy, green foliage, making it an excellent ground cover for sunny, dry areas. Its vibrant, daisy-like flowers display a mesmerizing blend of soft lavender-pink petals with a bright yellow center, creating an eye-catching contrast. Blooming profusely from spring through fall, 'Opal' provides continuous interest while attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, making it ideal for rock gardens, borders, and containers.

Highly resilient, Delosperma Jewel of Desert 'Opal' is exceptionally tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soils, making it a perfect choice for low-maintenance landscapes and xeriscaping. This variety is also deer-resistant and cold-hardy, capable of withstanding temperatures down to USDA Zone 5. Despite its delicate and colorful appearance, 'Opal' requires minimal care, making it a fantastic option for gardeners seeking long-lasting beauty with little effort. Whether planted in mass for a carpet of soft, glowing hues or used as a striking accent in mixed succulent plantings, this Iceplant delivers exceptional performance and visual appeal throughout the growing season.

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Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Garnet' PP23471 - Enduring Beauty

 Delosperma Jewel of Desert Series 'Garnet' PP23471, commonly known as Iceplant, is a hardy, drought-tolerant perennial prized for its vibrant, long-lasting blooms. This low-growing succulent forms a dense mat of fleshy, green foliage that serves as an excellent ground cover. Its striking daisy-like flowers boast a rich, deep red hue with a golden-yellow center, creating a dazzling contrast that attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies. Blooming continuously from spring through fall, 'Garnet' provides months of color in rock gardens, borders, and containers, thriving best in full sun and well-drained soil.

This variety is exceptionally resilient, tolerating heat, poor soils, and dry conditions, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping and water-wise gardens. It requires minimal maintenance and is deer-resistant, adding to its appeal for gardeners seeking low-effort beauty. Despite its delicate appearance, 'Garnet' is remarkably cold-hardy, withstanding temperatures down to USDA Zone 5. Whether planted en masse for a carpet of red brilliance or used as an accent in a mixed succulent garden, Delosperma Jewel of Desert 'Garnet' delivers enduring beauty with little care required.

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Why is this called "Ice Plant"?

 

Delosperma cooperi aka Ice Plant

Q. Why is this called "Ice Plant"?

A. Delosperma cooperi is commonly known as Hardy Ice Plant. It's cold hardy into USDA Climate Zone 5. But its cold-hardiness is not the reason for the reference to ice. If you look closely at the slender foliage in the photograph above, you'll notice the glistening white surfaces. Upon examining with a magnifying lens, you'd see structures called epidermal bladder cells. These are what give Delosperma that ice-like glaze. 

Incidentally, Hardy Ice Plant is also known as Mesembryanthemum cooperi. Mesembryanthemum is a genus that grows well in dry, salty, sandy environments. It thrives in South Africa, the Mediterranean region, parts of North and South America. Travelers along the Pacific Coast Highway 1 will see it often.

Ice Plant doesn't have to grow in sandy soil, but gardeners who have it, or who live in dry coastal areas will appreciate its abilities. It's an amazing little plant. To deal with heat, Ice Plant closes little pores (stomata) under its leaves to retain moisture. If it isn't getting enough salt, it takes up airborne saline through its foliage to retain moisture. 

Mesembryanthemum leaves, flowers and seeds are edible. On top of that, the plant has medicinal qualities. It has been used to treat various ailments including liver, kidney and pneumonia. It is also used externally for skin treatment.

Hardy Ice Plant serves well as a ground cover in rock gardens, coastal and container gardens, succulent and cactus gardens, medicinal gardens, and xeriscapes. You should find a place for it in your garden.

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Chill Out With Delosperma

Delosperma is a delightful evergreen ground cover that only came to my attention within the last few years. It is a succulent, low-growing perennial plant that lends a fresh, cool appearance even during hot weather. These plants are becoming widely known mostly due to the work of Dr. Panayoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanic Garden.

Delosperma (pronounced del-o-SPUR-ma), commonly called "ice-plant" is native to South Africa where it grows in moderate to dry soils even in high mountain areas. Nevertheless it does nicely in much of the U.S. in climate zones 5 through 9.

The name, Delosperma, means "obvious seed", for they are rather large in relation to the rest of the flower. The common name, "ice plant", refers to the watery, succulent appearance and the icy green color of the foliage, along with other plant properties.

Delosperma is suitable for ground covers, rock gardens, alpine gardens, cactus and succulent gardens, hanging baskets, sunny perennial gardens and borders when planted with species having similar requirements.

There are about 14 species of Delosperma, but only a few are readily available commercially.

Delosperma basuticum thrives in USDA climate zones 5 through 9. Some report success into zone 11. Though I haven't been able to confirm this, I believe the species is named for Basotho, (now known as Lesotho) a region in south Africa where it is native. Maximum height is 3". Yellow to white flowers are produced all summer and into fall. It needs well-drained garden soil with pH ranging from slightly acid to slighty alkaline. It is drought tolerant. Mature plants grow to 12" across. It will produce a beautiful carpet in optimal conditions. Plant in full sun. Space at 8" to 12".

Delosperma cooperi is named for Dr. James G. Cooper(1830-1902), conchologist, geologist, ornithologist, zoologist. Dr. Cooper contributed a great deal to understanding the geology, flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwesst.

D. cooperi, also known as Trailing Ice Plant or Hardy Ice Plant, thrives in USDA climate zones 5 through 9. Flowers are pink to magenta.

D. x 'Mesa Verde', also known as D. x 'Kelaidis', is a new cultivar resulting from pollination by Dr. Kelaidis, mentioned before. It is well-worth seeking. 'Mesa Verde' has been reported to do well in USDA climate zones 4 through 9.

Delosperma nubigenum, which shares its common names with D. cooperi, is similar in habit to D. basuticum and D. cooperi. "Nubigenum" means "born in clouds", referring to its high-altitude native habitat. One might think that it preferred only cool climates, but it also thrives in USDA climate zones 5 through 9 or 10. Flower color is yellow.

Prepare the planting bed for Delosperma by cultivating at least 6" deep, removing all traces of weeds. Take a soil sample to your nearby Cooperative Extension Service office for testing. Follow their recommendations. Compacted soil should be cultivated to 10" deep. Composted manure may be incorporated into the soil. Fertilizer may be used. If you choose to do so, incorporate fertilizer per the soil test recommendations, or 5-10-15 fertilizer at a rate of no more than 2 lbs. per 100 square feet, into the top 4" to 6" of soil. Avoid synthetic fertilizers contacting any part of your plants.

Container-grown Delosperma can be planted any time you have a shovel handy, but may require monitoring of soil moisture conditions during hot weather. But Delosperma is very forgiving.

Space plants 8" to 12" apart, as indicated earlier. Keep in mind that my spacing recommendations are approximate. If you want them to fill in quickly, plant closer together. If you have plenty of time and patience but less money, plant them farther apart. Dig planting holes into the cultivated soil a little less deep than the depth of the growing container. Place the plants into the holes and back-fill. Press soil around the roots. Do not cover the root balls with soil. The tops should be slightly exposed. Add a top-dressing of mulch around the plants, not on top of them, about 2" to 4" deep. Irrigate thoroughly.

Maintenance is minimal. A little weeding and occasional watering should do the trick.

For a low-maintenance, low-growing colorful groundcover that is drought-tolerant, consider Delosperma.

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