Illustration of Delosperma echinatum by Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1802). [Public Domain]
Genus: Delosperma
Common Names: ice plants (though some other related genuses are also referred to as ice plants)
Description coming soon.
Distribution: Southern Africa, Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
Our Selection
Delosperma sp. 'Beaufort West'
Description: perennial; an unidentified species collected near the town of Beaufort West in the Nieuwveld Mountains of South Africa. Especially low and compact with light pink flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 2 in. Spread: to 3 ft.
Delosperma ex 'Broncoensis'
Description: perennial; a seed strain of delosperma with a tidy, compact growth habit. Evergreen, succulent foliage and bright orange flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 1 ft.
Delosperma 'John Proffitt'
Description: perennial; an introduction from a breeding program in Colorado and named for a former director of the Denver Botanic Garden. Intended to be a hardier or more vigorous alternative to D. cooperi (which, oddly enough, we find to be quite hardy and vigorous already). Evergreen, succulent foliage and vibrant magenta-pink flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 3 ft.
Delosperma LAVENDER ICE 'Psfave'
Description: perennial; found as a sport of D. 'John Proffitt' at Perennial Favorites Nursery in Rye, Colorado. Evergreen, succulent foliage and pale pink flowers with a dark pink center in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 3 ft.
Delosperma 'Lesotho Pink'
Description: perennial; a compact ice plant introduced by High Country Gardens of Colorado. Selected for it's extremely low, tight foliage and relatively large, bright-pink flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 18 in.
Delosperma 'Pizzink Dizzle Izzle'
Description: perennial; a dizzling, dazzling introduction by Cistus Design Nursery of Oregon via Tim Hanis. Selected for dense, olive-green foliage and a particularly long bloom season. Vibrant purple-pink flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 18 in.
Delosperma cooperi
Description: perennial; a vigorous evergreen groundcover native to South Africa and on of the most commonly found species in horticulture. Succulent foliage and vibrant magenta-pink flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 3 ft.
Delosperma dyeri 'Psdold'
Description: perennial; a selection of a species native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Evergreen, succulent foliage and bright scarlet flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 2 ft.
Delosperma nubigenum
Description: perennial; a particularly hardy and long-blooming species from South Africa. Succulent, green foliage takes on reddish tones in winter. Blooms bright yellow flowers in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 4 in. Spread: to 2 ft.
Delosperma sutherlandii
Description: perennial; a slower growing species from South Africa. Tight, succulent foliage and large purple-pink flowers with a white center and a yellow eye in spring and summer. Performs best in lean soil; a mulch of gravel directly under the leaves will prevent winter dieback.
Height: to 3 in. Spread: to 10 in.