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Ice Plant
Delosperma
Ice Plant blooms from June through September.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Ice Plant
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 4 in tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Ice Plant
Plant Ice Plant in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in March.
Good to know about Ice Plant
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The fleshy leaves carry bladder-like water-storage hairs that reflect light and make the foliage sparkle as if frosted, which is where the name 'ice plant' comes from. per NC State
Zones vary by cultivar
Sources give different zone ranges, 5a to 8b or 6a to 10b, because hardiness varies by cultivar and by winter drainage. Choose a proven hardy selection for your zone. per NC State
Wet soil is the killer
The top cause of death is wet soil, above all wet winter soil, which rots the roots and crown. In fast-draining ground it rarely happens. per NC State
Do not fertilize it
Skip the fertilizer and rich soil. Extra nitrogen makes this succulent grow soft and lanky, bloom less, and lean toward rot. It thrives on poor, gritty ground. per NC State
Not the invasive ice plant
This hardy Delosperma is a small, well-behaved clumper. Do not confuse it with Carpobrotus edulis, the large trailing coastal 'ice plant' that Cal-IPC rates a high-impact invasive. per Cal-IPC and NC State
Tough in heat and drought
As a succulent it stores water in its leaves, so once established it shrugs off drought and heat and is even moderately salt tolerant. per NC State
What pairs well with Ice Plant
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Spirea
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; echoes the pink.
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