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Purple Ice Plant

Category:

Low growing carpet-like, succulent, native to South Africa but amazingly hardy in North America; bright purple daisy-like flowers cover the ground; green foliage has burgundy overtones in fall; perfect for xeriscapes, rock gardens, screes and sandy soils

Characteristics

Average Landscape Height:
2 inches (3 inches with the flowers)
Average Landscape Width:
24 inches
Growth Rate:
fast
Genus:
Delosperma
Species:
cooperi
Flower Color:
purple
Flower Period:
from early summer to early fall
Summer Foliage Color:
light green
Fall Color:
burgundy
Minimum Light:
partial shade
Maximum Light:
full sun
Minimum Moisture:
dry
Maximum Moisture:
average
Plant Form:
spreading
Canopy:
closed
Pruning:
spring cleanup
Pollution Tolerance:
medium
Other Species Names:
Trailing Ice Plant
Branching:
herbaceous
Evergreen:
1
Flower Eye Color:
gold
Flower Form:
daisy

Ornamental Features

Purple Ice Plant features showy purple daisy flowers with gold eyes rising above the foliage from early summer to early fall. Its attractive small succulent narrow leaves are light green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous burgundy in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Purple Ice Plant is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

Planting & Growing

Purple Ice Plant will grow to be only 2 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.

Purple Ice Plant is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

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