Hardy ice plant
Plant in spring rather than autumn so it is well rooted before its first winter, and be sparing with the watering can from the second summer on: this is one of the few garden plants that genuinely prefers neglect.
Care
Full sun and as much of it as possible; it simply doesn't flower in shade.
Drought is what it is built for. The only watering it needs is in the first summer after planting.
Poor, gritty and sharply drained — a gravel garden, a wall top, a raised bed, the edge of a path. It is genuinely hardy to well below freezing but not to a winter spent in wet clay, which is the distinction that decides whether it lives.
Shear off the spent flowers and any winter-damaged growth in spring to keep the mat tight. If the centre goes bare, cut out the dead patch and press a rooted piece of the edge into the gap — it knits over in a season.
Nothing. Feeding gives lush growth that flops open, flowers less and rots in winter. This is a plant that performs best on ground you would apologise for.
Almost embarrassingly easy: pieces of stem pulled from the edge of the mat already have roots attached and can simply be pushed into gritty soil in spring or early summer. Non-rooted cuttings callus for a day and then root within a fortnight.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilTrim off winter-damaged growth once new shoots show at the base. how ›
- MayPull rooted pieces from the edge of the mat and replant them to spread the colony. how ›
- JuneMain flowering: daisy-like flowers that open in sun and close by late afternoon.
- AugustShear the spent flowers over to keep it blooming into autumn. how ›
- NovemberCheck nothing is holding water over the crown — a wet winter kills it, cold on its own does not. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilTrim off winter-damaged growth once new shoots show at the base. how ›
- MayPull rooted pieces from the edge of the mat and replant them to spread the colony. how ›
- JuneMain flowering: daisy-like flowers that open in sun and close by late afternoon.
- AugustShear the spent flowers over to keep it blooming into autumn. how ›
- NovemberCheck nothing is holding water over the crown — a wet winter kills it, cold on its own does not. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchTrim off winter-damaged growth once new shoots show at the base. how ›
- AprilPull rooted pieces from the edge of the mat and replant them to spread the colony. how ›
- MayMain flowering: daisy-like flowers that open in sun and close by late afternoon.
- AugustShear the spent flowers over to keep it blooming into autumn. how ›
- NovemberCheck nothing is holding water over the crown — a wet winter kills it, cold on its own does not. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchTrim off winter-damaged growth once new shoots show at the base. how ›
- AprilPull rooted pieces from the edge of the mat and replant them to spread the colony. how ›
- MayMain flowering: daisy-like flowers that open in sun and close by late afternoon.
- AugustShear the spent flowers over to keep it blooming into autumn. how ›
- NovemberCheck nothing is holding water over the crown — a wet winter kills it, cold on its own does not. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Black mush in patches after a mild, wet winter.
What to do. Grit the soil, plant on a slope or a raised edge, and keep mulch and fallen leaves off it.
How to spot it. A ring of growth with a dead middle after a few years.
What to do. Cut the dead patch out and replant a rooted piece from the edge.
How to spot it. Plenty of leaf, almost no bloom.
What to do. Too much shade or too much feeding — move it to full sun and stop feeding it.
Popular varieties
Questions
Hardy ice plant: is it hardy?
H4: Hardy through an average UK winter. It survives down to −10 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — excellent spilling over the edge of a trough or a gritty pot, provided it drains freely and isn't left standing in a saucer.
Hardy ice plant: when do you prune it?
Shear off the spent flowers and any winter-damaged growth in spring to keep the mat tight. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in April.
Hardy ice plant: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in May–September.
When do you feed it?
Nothing. Feeding gives lush growth that flops open, flowers less and rots in winter. This is a plant that performs best on ground you would apologise for.