Gone Gardenin’ — Ice plants can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors

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This article was published 09/11/2017 (3066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I like plants that are dual purpose, plants that can be enjoyed both outdoors and in the interior landscape. Last year an avid gardener friend of mine gave me a plant that fits that bill perfectly.

The plant she gave me is Aptenia cordifolia ‘Variegata’, more commonly called Variegated Ice Plant, although some people refer to it as Heartleaf Ice Plant. I enjoyed the plant in my sun room during the winter — it was late in the growing season when she gave me the plant — and I put it outdoors this summer where it put on a nice display.

Some of you might be familiar with the ice plant that we grow as an annual flower, officially known as Delosperma. This is not the same plant as the one I was given.

The annual ice plant is grown from seed and has green leaves and sports brilliant flowers of purple, yellow, white, pink, or orange. The green leaves sparkle in the sun — hence the name ice plant.

Tiny calcium crystals produced on the surfaces of the rounded green leaves reflect and retract light, causing the leaf surfaces to sparkle like ice crystals. The small flowers, single and delicately fringed, often have white centers to contrast with the more vibrant petal colour.

Ice plant is a great plant for hot dry spots in the garden because it is very drought tolerant. In fact, over watering ice plant will often lead to its rotting and dying. It can be grown as a ground cover or in window boxes and containers where its trailing growth habit will cause it to spill over the edge of containers.

These plants are low growing spreading plants that look good at the front of a border since they only get 10-15 cm tall and creep across the surface of the soil. The vibrantly colored flowers will attract a lot of attention when the sun is shining on them

Variegated ice plant belongs to the same plant family as the common ice plant but it is a different genus. It is a creeping succulent with variegated cream and green leaves that are about three cm long.

The foliage is what makes this plant a good indoor plant it will not likely bloom indoors unless it is placed in front of a sunny south window where it might put forth some bloom in late spring. Indoors, I grow it for its attractive foliage.

The leaves are smooth and they do not glisten like those of Aptenia cordifolia. Individual leaves do not lie flat; they tend to be slightly cup-shaped. The leaves are fleshy and succulent.

Variegated ice plant has a trailing growth habit and will soon begin spilling over the edge of its container and cascading downwards. The stems will branch, and a fuller plant will be created if judicious pinching is undertaken.

The specimen I have produces bright red flowers outdoors during the summer, although there are magenta, pink and white varieties. I do not put it outside in the spring until the night temperatures are reliably above 10 C. as this is one plant that does not like to be chilled.

When it is in the sun room during the winter I locate it in a sunny spot but far enough away from windows and the door that it will not get chilled. Usually it is in a container that is hung from the ceiling and that location further ensures that the plant will not be chilled as the heat in the room will naturally go upwards.

Ice plants, including variegated ice plant, have their origins in South Africa so they are tropical plants and not at all cold-hardy. Annual types will be killed by frost and will not over winter outdoors — although they will self seed. Variegated ice plant will not survive our winters outdoors.

Like most succulents, variegated ice plant must be watered sparingly. The soil should be allowed to almost completely dry out before water is supplied again. Outdoors, in a container with good drainage, the soil can be drenched and then allowed to drain, but indoors during the winter this would be too much water.

If the plant is over watered the leaves will begin to go limp, turn yellow and die. During the dead of winter, the plant should be watered very sparingly, just adding enough water to keep the plant alive.

Variegated ice plant is valued for its rapid growth habit; a pot of slips will form a nice sized plant by winter’s end. Cuttings root easily in slightly dampened soilless mix and several cuttings about six cm long will create a nice full pot.

Although I have not tried to use variegated ice plant in this way, I think it would be useful as a trailer in a mixed container. It would need to be positioned right at the front of the container so that it would not be overwhelmed by its neighbors.

I like to enjoy this attractive plant as a specimen plant in its own container. Both indoors and in the outdoor garden it holds its own with its attractive cream and green foliage and (in summer) its delicate red flowers.

Albert Parsons lives, writes, and gardens in Minnedosa.

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