Delosperma cooperi
Hardy Ice Plant
Common names: Cooper's Ice Plant, Winter-hardy Midday Flower
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −18 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: Joanbanjo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Delosperma cooperi, native to the mountains of South Africa, is an evergreen, succulent cushion perennial. Its fleshy, cylindrical leaves form a flat mat about 5 to 10 cm high that spreads 40 to 60 cm wide. From June to September, bright magenta-pink, daisy-like flowers 4 to 5 cm in diameter open on the mat, but only in sunshine. On cloudy days and in the evening they stay closed. Unlike the annual midday flowers grown on balconies, it can remain outdoors over winter if the soil is dry in winter. It is used in rock gardens, gravel beds, dry stone walls and planters in sunny, lean sites.
Care instructions
Plant Cooper's Ice Plant from mid-May onward in a full-sun, warm spot with lean, very well-drained soil, so it has a whole summer to root. Allow about 30 cm spacing. Water only during the first few weeks and during long dry spells; afterwards it looks after itself. No fertilizer is needed. In spring, cut out frost-damaged or brown shoots; the plant usually sprouts again from the remainder. Spent flowers do not need to be removed. The most common mistakes are heavy, wet soil, shade and winter wetness, especially on clay, where it will die. Therefore, spread a layer of gravel or chippings around the plant.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingFeb–Apr
FloweringJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 12 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, sandy, lean, dry
The hardy ice plant needs a very free-draining, lean soil, best made of sand, gravel and a little humus-rich soil. What matters is that water runs off immediately, because wetness around the roots is more dangerous than frost in winter. Improve heavy soils with plenty of grit, or build a raised mound bed. A neutral pH suits it well. In rich, humus-rich soil it grows soft and flowers less.
Feeding
Light feeder
The hardy ice plant needs no fertiliser. As a succulent it is adapted to barren soils, and in nutrient-rich soil it grows soft and flowers worse. In a container, mineral soil is enough too; in spring, just swap the top layer for fresh, sandy soil.
Overwintering
The hardy ice plant survives frost down to about minus 18 degrees if it stands dry. Its problem is winter wet, not the cold. So plant it in gravel or sand in a raised, rain-sheltered spot, for example under an overhanging roof. In regions with a lot of rain, you can cover the cushion in winter with a pane of glass set up with air flowing underneath. In a container, place the pot against a rain-sheltered house wall. Cut off brown shoots in spring.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
Cuttings are the surest way: from May to August, cut shoot tips about 5 cm long, let the cut end dry for a day and insert them in sandy, lean soil. In a bright spot they usually root within a few weeks. Shoots lying on the ground root by themselves; separate such sections in spring and replant them. Sowing is possible from February: scatter the fine seeds on seed compost, just press them in and keep them lightly moist at about 20 °C; they need light to germinate.
For your garden
Grow Hardy Ice Plant yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
What other gardeners have written down about this variety, anonymous and voluntary.
No notes shared yet. Will you be the first to write one down?