Hello. I recently bought 2 quart-size containers of delosperma (ice plant) to start a ground cover. It has tiny white flowers that look like miniature daisies. 1) Is this plant evergreen and 2)can I divide the plants from the containers into several plants each? I haven't found exactly what I need when I researched it on the internet. Thanks so much for any information anyone can give. To all who read this, have a wonderful week.
My copy of the large, paperback book Perennial Ground Covers by David S. MacKenzie [Amazon purchase] has a most interesting article on Delosperma or ice plants. This book refers to them as "hardy ice plants" as new ones have been developed to withstand the winters to Zone 5 or 6, and it says specifically that Delosperma nubigena [or cloud-loving hardy ice plant, trailing ice plant, or hardy ice...] is evergreen. They sound fantastic, with "glistening" leaves and the little bright daisy-like blossoms, on plants only a few inches high, make it sound so charming, and so suitable for hot or hot-and-dry locations! Several of the other varieties mentioned sound fairly hardy too, but the text does not say specifically that they are evergreen. I am going to try some here in Zone 7!
Certain Delosperma species are hardier than one might expect... several interesting introductions of these and other hardy South African plants have come from the Denver Botanical Gardens. I've only experimented with Delosperma congestum so far, but have found it to be hardy here in zone 3, over a few years:
this is fascinating, abgardeneer: the Delosperma congestum... some interesting groundcover landscapes could be made with this!
Thanks so much for the information. I did some more searching after initiating the thread and found that the plants can be divided and planted very easily. Just take a piece (guess you'd call it a stem) and shake off the bottom leaves, then plant. I can't imagine the leaves just shaking off, but I'll try it. I know my other succulent plant leaves, hen and biddies, fall off at the drop of a hat. I'll update later on whether it worked for me or not.
