Ice Plant (Carpobrotus edulus)*

~ By Kythera Ann ~

My last offering for "Plants That Attract Us" is about a unique, beautiful and fascinating ground cover commonly called "ice plant."

In California, along the coast, the sand dunes are often aflame in yellow or hot pink flowers from late February through early fall. The plant that is displaying this magnificent vibrancy to a barren vista is commonly called "ice plant."

"Ice Plant" is a creeping, mat forming succulent that can spread about a foot per year; its flowers also provide hundreds of seeds per blossom that root easily. Therefore ground covering is very rapid. There are over sixty variants of the plant and most variations originated in Africa, though there are indigenous species to be found in Australia and on the pacific coast.

The plant loves sandy soil and does well, because it is a succulent, in arid conditions. My parents planted it in their parkway when we lived in the desert of Southern California when I was a child.

Although California has an indigenous species of ice plant, business and government decided to "import" species from Africa and plant them along the sandy railroad beds (for stabilization of soil) throughout California in the early 1900s. For the same reason thousands of more acres were planted with them along the highways of California in the 1970's.

Hindsight is always great. These "imports" are now considered invasive as they often choke out natural vegetation. The imports have readily crossed pollinated with the indigenous species (a brilliant red flower).

Besides the "wow" factor of the acres of color they provide and their drought resistant hardiness, some varieties are actually edible.

One of the more fascinating things I learned about ice plant when I was a Girl Scout in California is that the indigenous plant was the source of vitamin C for the Native Americans of the area. We, in our modern world, of easily accessible oranges, tomatoes, lemons and limes, don't often think about how people used to avoid scurvy when they lived in areas where those things didn't grow. Nature is magnificent and provides for all her creatures. So before the first Italian planted the first orange tree, or the first Spaniard planted the first tomato in California, Native Americans were happy and healthy eating ice plant!

Don't 'ya just love it?

Pleae Note: *The above photo was borrowed from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, to show you what this plant looks like in flower.

         

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