Three Heat-Resistant Ice Plants That Sparkle in the Sun
#1 ‘Rosea’ Ice Plant
This South African native is a dense ground-hugger, ideal for slopes and effective in erosion control. Its fast growth and ability to root stems that touch the ground allow it to cover large areas, but it’s not suitable for foot traffic, as its stems are easily crushed and can become slippery.
Why we like it: This ice plant lives up to its name with tiny translucent dots that glisten in the sun along its green stems. Its bright pink blooms can last two to three weeks in the spring. When not used as a ground cover, it makes a colorful accent in a rock garden alongside other succulents.
#2 Red Spike Ice Plant
Unlike some other ice plants, ‘Red Spike’ is a relatively slow grower that only spreads a few feet in tight clumps and is smaller overall. It’s unsuitable for foot traffic due to its diminutive stature but serves as an excellent stabilizer in erosion-prone areas.
Why we like it: Red Spike’s brilliant magenta flowers bloom from late winter to early spring. When combined with other summer- or fall-blooming ice plants, it provides nearly year-round color. Its thick, gray-green stems can take on a reddish hue in cooler weather, adding additional interest to rock gardens, borders, and mixed succulent containers.
#3 Coppery Mesemb
Native to South Africa, this ice plant is unsuitable for foot traffic but excels as a ground cover on slopes, in rock gardens, or trailing over walls and containers. Both frost- and drought-tolerant, it’s particularly well-suited for low desert gardens.
Why we like it: Also known as the red ice plant for its copper orange-red daisy-like flowers with yellow centers and occasional purplish undersides, it can bloom virtually year-round, peaking in spring. Grayish-green stems may develop reddish tips in winter, adding extra interest.
