Hardy Ice Plant
Delosperma cooperi
Family Aizoaceae
Hardy ice plant blooms like someone plugged it in — low succulent mats smothered in shimmering, almost fluorescent daisies in the hottest, driest, most abandoned ground you have: the hell strip, the gravel bank, the top of a rock wall. The worse the spot, the better the show.
Bees adore it, drought means nothing to it, and it stays a tidy two or three inches while spreading fast into a glowing carpet. Hardy to zone 5 where drainage is sharp, it turns the strip nobody waters into the bed everybody photographs — claim yours.
Full Sun
Low water
Fast growth
Salt-tolerant
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing hardy ice plant? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries hardy ice plant — Delosperma cooperi, print Nº 245, “Hardy Ice Plant.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what hardy ice plant actually needs.
Hardy inZones 5-9Hardy Ice Plant · Common problems
Common hardy ice plant problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Root/Crown Rot in wet winters (the ONLY real risk)
Hardy Ice Plant · Growing & propagation
Growing hardy ice plant
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Very low
The more neglect the better
Soil- Sandy, gravelly, SHARP drainage
Winter-wet is fatal · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- Spring cleanup
Shear off winter-tattered growth in spring; it fills back fast.
Spacing- 12-18 in
How to plant & propagate hardy ice plant
- Propagate
- Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups
Hardy Ice Plant · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The hardy ice plant growing playbook
When to spray hardy ice plant
Growing season. Gritty soil + winter drainage is the whole game.
Hardy Ice Plant · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Hardy Ice Plant · Yearly calendar
The hardy ice plant year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomPruneBloomMay, then September to November
PruneMarch to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Hardy Ice Plant · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Delosperma cooperi
Hardy Ice Plant in the garden system
- Groundcover layer succulent
- Nectary/insectary
- Living mulch
Attracts- Bees
Habitat- Dry/rocky
Moisture- Upland / dry
Salt- Salt-tolerant
Fine near roads and coasts
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What hardy ice plant is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Use- Hell strips
- Use
- Rock walls
- Use
- Xeriscape color
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Hardy Ice Plant · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a hardy ice plant variety
'Cooperi' (magenta); 'Fire Spinner' (tricolor); 'Jewel of Desert' series
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Hardy Ice Plant
Delosperma cooperi
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Delosperma cooperi
- Plant family
- Aizoaceae
- Growth habit
- Succulent · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Questions
Hardy Ice Plant questions, answered straight.
Is hardy ice plant safe for kids and pets?
Hardy Ice Plant is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate hardy ice plant?
Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups.
Elsewhere
Where hardy ice plant sits in the library.
Nasturtium
Juniper
Blue Fescue
Hens and Chicks