Plants
Ice Plant
Delosperma · Aizoaceae
The ice plant is our tip for anyone wanting to green up a hot, dry spot where everything else dies of thirst: a south-facing balcony, a roof terrace, a rock garden. The succulent leaves store water, the silky, glossy flowers glow in colours that look almost artificial — and you hardly ever water. Continuous flowering does not get much easier.
- Light
- Full sun — in shade the flowers stay closed.
- Watering
- Very sparing; the succulent leaves store water for weeks.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Delosperma
Botanically the ice plant is a succulent: its cylindrical leaves store water like little tanks, which is why it shrugs off heatwaves that leave other balcony plants wilting. The ray-shaped flowers resemble asters but have a silky sheen — a real eye-catcher in full sunlight.
The range of varieties has exploded in recent years: classics like Delosperma cooperi flower in magenta, while modern breeding such as the Jewel of Desert series adds orange, yellow and bicoloured blooms with a striking eye. Many are hardy down to around minus 20 degrees — provided the soil drains freely.
Wet feet are its only real enemy: the one thing the ice plant never experienced in South African scree is a soggy German winter. In heavy clay the mats rot; with sand or grit in the planting hole and a spot by a wall or in a gravel bed, however, it keeps going for years.
The firework of colour pays off for insects too: on sunny days the open flowers are busy with bees and hoverflies. We buy our ice plants fresh via the Veiling Rhein-Maas like all our perennials — ask in the shop for the current colours, the selection changes with the season.
Care
- 01Choose a warm spot in full sun — the more sun, the more flowers.
- 02Plant in free-draining substrate; mix sand or grit into heavy soil.
- 03Water sparingly and only during long dry spells; avoid waterlogging at all costs.
- 04Feed little or not at all — lean soil encourages compact, free-flowering mats.
- 05Protect from persistent winter wet, for example with a grit mulch or a spot under a roof overhang.
Frequently asked
- Is the ice plant hardy?
- Many Delosperma varieties tolerate hard frost down to around minus 20 degrees — but the deciding factor is wetness, not cold. In free-draining, rather lean soil they come through winter easily; in wet clay they rot. In pots, a sheltered spot by the house wall helps.
- Why won't my ice plant's flowers open?
- The flowers respond directly to light: they open only in sunshine and stay closed on dull days and in shade — hence the German name „midday flower”. If the plant sits too dark, only a sunnier spot will help.
- How often should I water an ice plant?
- In the border, practically never once established — the plant lives off its leaf reserves. In a pot it is enough to let the substrate dry out completely between waterings; better a week too late than a day too early.
- Is the ice plant suitable for balcony boxes?
- Yes, superbly — provided the box hangs in the sun and has good drainage holes. In cactus compost, or regular compost mixed with a third of sand, it flowers all summer and forgives the odd forgotten watering day during your holiday.