Ice Plant, Carpet Weed

I grew this plant about 10 years ago on a south facing window sill in the north of England. It was a beautiful plant to grow, with its s...Read Moremall glaucous green fleshy glimmering leaves that covered a woody under skeleton of light brown.

It flowered prolifically for much of the spring/summer season, and had a delicate and sweet fragrance, which was a delight to encounter.

I treated this specimen in a similar fashion to the many cacti that I grew on the same window sill giving a good soaking when I watered/fed it, but allowing it to dry out well between watering. If I can remember rightly, it preferred a slightly acid free draining soil, so be careful when watering with hard water (higher lime content), and it could pay to test your soil and adjust the pH to around 6-6.5. Fertilize with a suitably low nitrogen feed, such as one suitable for general succulents (high nitrogen will produce too many soft green leaves that will be susceptible to fungal diseases!). Use a general insecticide and fungicide if required, but avoid this in the flowering season (Early in the year, or autumn being preferred, although I did not ever have to do this).

I advise anyone who likes something a little unusual to give this plant a try, and I am currently looking into buying another specimen of this plant for sunny window sill cultivation. If you are lucky enough to live in a frost free zone, then it would be a beautiful and easy to care for addition to a sunny spot, although this plant may not be suitable for a very blisteringly sunny spot, where it will require afternoon shade (in the southern the hottest states of America for example).

Spreading ice-plant with white flowers. Leaves small (2-5cm), slightly blue-green, rough and stack up on each other. Makes a great whit...Read Moree carpet in spring.