Trailing ice plant, often recognized by its botanical name Delosperma cooperi, is a popular succulent ground cover. It is known for its low maintenance and vibrant, daisy-like flowers that bloom from late spring through fall. Its succulent foliage provides attractive texture, making it a popular choice for rock gardens, borders, and cascading over walls. This resilient plant offers visual appeal with minimal effort.
Essential Growing Conditions
Trailing ice plant thrives in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. This is essential for dense growth and prolific flowering. Insufficient light, such as partial shade, often leads to leggy, stretched plants with fewer blooms.
Once established, trailing ice plant exhibits drought tolerance due to its succulent nature. New plantings require consistent, moderate watering to establish a strong root system, typically once or twice a week. Mature plants benefit from deep but infrequent watering, allowing the soil to dry out completely between applications. Overwatering is a common cause of root rot and plant decline.
Trailing ice plant requires excellent drainage. Sandy or gritty soil, mimicking its natural arid habitats, is ideal. Heavy clay soils are detrimental; amend them with organic matter like compost or perlite to improve porosity. Proper drainage prevents waterlogging around the roots, which is essential for survival.
Trailing ice plant is hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 through 10. It tolerates heat well, suiting it for warm, sunny landscapes. While it can withstand some cold, prolonged extreme cold or wet winters can be problematic. In colder zones, adequate drainage is crucial to prevent root damage from freezing and thawing.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Light pruning encourages bushier growth and maintains the plant’s form. Trimming leggy or overgrown sections rejuvenates the plant and promotes a denser habit. Deadheading spent flowers, while not essential for continuous blooming, can enhance appearance and may extend the flowering period.
Trailing ice plant has modest nutritional requirements, often thriving without supplemental feeding. Excessive fertilization can stimulate lush foliage growth at the expense of flower production, diminishing its ornamental appeal. If growth is stunted or foliage shows nutrient deficiency, apply a light, balanced, slow-release granular succulent fertilizer in early spring. Fertilizing is rarely needed for most healthy plants.
Addressing Common Challenges
A common issue is a lack of abundant blooms. This is often due to insufficient light, as the plant requires full sun to flower prolifically. Over-fertilization, particularly with nitrogen-rich products, can also divert energy to vegetative growth instead of flowers.
Root rot is another concern, stemming from improper watering or poorly draining soil. Symptoms include wilting, yellowing leaves, and a general decline, even when the soil appears moist. Ensuring the soil is consistently well-drained and allowing it to dry out between waterings are the best preventive measures.
Leggy growth, with elongated stems and sparse foliage, indicates insufficient sunlight. Moving the plant to a brighter location or trimming stretched sections can restore a more compact habit. Trailing ice plant is generally resistant to most common pests and diseases. When issues arise, they are often symptomatic of underlying environmental stressors or improper cultural care, like overwatering or inadequate light.