Dorotheanthus bellidiformis
Livingstone daisy
Common names: Ice plant, Mesembryanthemum
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Flowering
- Jul–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: Winfried Bruenken (Amrum) · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Source
Description
The Garden Mesembryanthemum, botanically Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, is a small annual succulent from South Africa. It grows as a flat mat, reaching only 10 to 15 cm in height, and bears fleshy, light green leaves. From July to September, countless daisy-like flowers appear in bright pink, red, orange, yellow or white, often with a darker centre. The flowers open only in sunshine and close in overcast weather and in the evening. In the garden, it suits sunny rock gardens, dry walls, bed edgings and paving joints, or shallow bowls and balcony boxes. It is undemanding as long as it receives full sun and free-draining soil. Do not confuse it with the hardy ice plant: this one dies back in winter and is sown anew each year.
Care instructions
Give the Garden Mesembryanthemum the sunniest, warmest spot you have, as its flowers open only in sunshine. Plant it out only after the Ice Saints, from calendar week 20 onwards, as it cannot tolerate frost. The soil should be free-draining and lean, and plants should be set about 15 cm apart. Water regularly during the first few weeks, afterwards only sparingly, once the soil has dried out completely. Waterlogging and prolonged rain cause the fleshy shoots to rot, so containers need drainage holes and beds need loose, sandy soil. Water at the base rather than over the plant. No fertiliser is needed. In rainy weather the flowers remain closed, which is normal. Remove spent flowers occasionally to keep the mat looking fresh for longer.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringJul–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 12 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs darkness to sprout
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
sandy, well-drained, lean, dry
Livingstone daisies need very free-draining, sandy and rather poor soil, such as is found in rock gardens and on gravel areas. Neutral to slightly acidic soil is ideal. In nutrient-rich, heavy or wet soil the fleshy shoots rot, and the abundance of flowers declines. On loamy soils you mix in plenty of sand or grit; in pots you use cactus compost or potting compost with a lot of sand.
Feeding
Light feeder
Livingstone daisy needs no fertiliser. It comes from barren, sandy sites, and too many nutrients make the shoots soft and prone to rot. In bowls and boxes too, fresh, poor soil is enough for planting; you do not need to feed afterwards.
Overwintering
Livingstone daisy is an annual and is killed by the first frost; even cool, wet autumn days take their toll. You clear it away in autumn. Overwintering is not worthwhile; next spring you raise new plants from seed. For seed, you let a few flowers ripen in late summer and harvest the dry capsules on a sunny, dry day. You keep the fine seeds dry and dark.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You sow Livingstone daisy from March to May. From March, start it indoors or in a cold frame: lay the seeds flat on a seed tray, press them down lightly and keep them moderately moist at 15 to 18 °C. They germinate after 12 to 20 days. Prick out the seedlings individually into small pots and place them in a bright spot. After the Ice Saints in mid-May, the young plants go outdoors. Direct sowing into the bed makes sense only after the Ice Saints and flowers later. In warm locations the plant may self-seed.
For your garden
Grow Livingstone daisy yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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