Grow hardy ice plant in full sun and soil that drains fast. Ice plant is the usual shop name. The thick mats on California highways are a different plant.
Give it full sun, gritty soil, and keep winter wet off the crown
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, at least six hours | Do not grow it in shade that stretches the stems |
| Soil | Sand, gravel, or a raised grit mix | Do not plant it in clay, or in a low pocket that holds rain |
| Water | Soak to establish, then wait until the soil is dry. In a dry-summer climate, a weekly soak in heat is fine | Do not water on a calendar while the soil is still wet, especially in fall |
| Winter | A dry crown. Cut extra water in fall so the leaves shrink | Do not leave the crown in wet clay through freeze and thaw |
Hardy ice plant stores water in the leaves. Mix that drains, then dries, is the site. Do not overwater, and do not feed it as if it were a lush perennial. [1] Wet soil in winter kills it even when the cold would not. [2] Cooper's ice plant wants that same sun and drain. So does yellow ice plant. The mat has trouble coming back where winters stay wet. [3] Set a new plant on Planting Ice Plant. If the ground stays wet, grow it in a pot on Ice Plant in Pots. Fill a gap from a stem on How to Propagate Ice Plant.
- Set it in full sun. Bloom fades and stems stretch once the mat sits in shade.
- Use sand, gravel, or a raised grit mix. Skip a low clay pocket.
- Water well after you plant, then wait until the soil is dry. In humid summer heat, a deep soak still helps it grow; do not keep the crown wet.
- Stop extra water in fall so the leaves harden. Leave the crown open to air.
How often should I water ice plant?
Soak to establish, then wait until the soil is dry. Water less once nights stay cool. Do not water on a wet-soil calendar.
Does ice plant need full sun?
Yes. Give it at least six hours. Shade stretches the stems and cuts the flower show.
Can ice plant take a freeze?
Hardy kinds take hard cold if the crown stays dry. Wet soil in winter is the main cause of rot.
Not highway ice plant — and not moss rose
Hardy ice plant is Delosperma, a thin succulent carpet for a dry, sunny bed. The thick, triangular-leaf mats along California highways are Carpobrotus, a coastal invader. Do not plant that one. [4]
Trailing ice plant on a frost-free tag is often Lampranthus. It wants the same sun and drain, but a hard freeze kills it. Moss rose is Portulaca, usually an annual with needle leaves — see How to Grow Moss Rose. Baby sun rose is Aptenia, a tender trailing mat — see How to Grow Baby Sun Rose. Showy stonecrop is sometimes sold as ice plant in older lists; that plant is How to Grow Sedum, not this carpet.
Common ice plant with crystalline bumps on the leaf is Mesembryanthemum. A chunky indoor succulent labeled ice plant is often a different mesemb, not this hardy ground cover.
Is ice plant invasive?
Highway ice plant on the California coast is. Hardy Delosperma sold for rock gardens is a different, smaller carpet. Read the botanical name on the tag.
Is ice plant the same as moss rose?
No. Moss rose is Portulaca, usually grown as a tender annual. Hardy ice plant is a perennial succulent carpet.
Is ice plant a sedum?
No. Showy stonecrop is sometimes called ice plant in older lists. Hardy ice plant is Delosperma.
If the mat is mushy after winter, the crown stayed wet — move it onto grit that dries.
FAQ
Is magenta ice plant a different plant from yellow ice plant?
No. Cooper's ice plant is the usual magenta carpet. yellow ice plant is a tighter yellow mat, often with redder winter foliage. Compact Jewel, Hotcakes, and Wheels names are color forms of the same sun-and-drain job.
Do I need to prune ice plant?
No yearly shear. In spring, pull stems that turned mushy over winter. Leave healthy green growth; flowers form on new shoots.
Why do the flowers close?
They open in sun and heat and close at dusk or on a dull day. That is normal, not a watering cue.
Can I grow ice plant from seed?
You can, but a plug or a stem cutting is faster. Named hybrids will not come true from seed.
Can I keep hardy ice plant as a houseplant?
Not as the usual job. This carpet wants outdoor sun. A chunky indoor plant tagged ice plant is often a different mesemb.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/delosperma/ - [2] University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture -
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/ice-plants-7-26-13.aspx - [3] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/delosperma-cooperi/ - [4] California Department of Fish and Wildlife -
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/Dont-Plant-Me/Iceplant
This note is part of Delosperma Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors