Flowering Ground Cover Plants: Ice Plants

Ice plant gets its name from the small watery cavities that cover its surface, making it appear to glisten like ice.

Ice plants are a shiny deep green with fleshy leaves that will form a thick carpet no more than five inches high. Ice plants are ideal for covering unsightly areas of your garden. The ice plant is also useful as a binder. It resists dry weather and grows well on slopes, covering difficult garden areas and preventing soil erosion.

In summer and autumn the ice plant produces white, pink or lavender blossoms which shine like the stalks and leaves. It is a semi-evergreen, standing up to mild winters but will die away in harsher weather.

The best start for ice plant is well-drained soil. Being a succulent plant it needs afternoon shade and regular water. The ice plant loves sun and heat and blooms profusely given the right conditions.

Back to ground cover plants

Ground cover plants come in many varieties. Some of the most popular are:

Buy your ice plants from Spring Hill Nursery and get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!