Mauve Ice Plant

Mauve Ice Plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum 'Mauve') is a low succulent groundcover that sits about 15cm high and spreads to 80cm across, carrying daisy shaped mauve and pink flowers through the warm months. The fleshy leaves store their own water, so it holds a hot dry bank where lawn and most groundcovers give up.

Why you'll love it

• Colour on ground that grows nothing. Baked verges, gravel edges and west facing slopes are exactly where it flowers hardest.
• It asks for almost no water. Drought and heat tolerant once established, so it keeps going through a dry summer with no irrigation.
• Poor soil and salt are fine. Sand, gravel and thin soil suit it, and salt laden coastal wind does not burn the foliage.
• Fast to cover. Planted 40cm apart it knits into a continuous mat within a season.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 40cm apart for quick cover, about six plants to the square metre. Use it along driveway edges, around letterboxes and across the dry strip beside a path.

Retaining walls and slopes. It trails over the top of a wall and knits the surface of a bank together, reducing wash on bare slopes in heavy rain.

Coastal gardens and rockeries. Salt tolerance and shallow roots make it a natural for gravel gardens and the pockets between rocks.

Growing mauve ice plant in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. It suits Mediterranean, warm temperate, subtropical and arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so in cold inland and southern districts treat it as a warm season plant or grow it in a pot under cover.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the only real requirement. Sandy and gravelly soils are ideal, and poor soil produces tighter, better flowering growth than rich soil. On clay, plant into a raised bed with coarse sand through it. Skip heavy mulch, which holds moisture against the stems.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first six weeks while roots take hold, then leave it alone except in extreme heat. Overwatering is the most common way to lose it, and feeding only produces soft, floppy growth.

Pruning. Shear the mat back by about a third once flowering finishes to keep it dense. If a patch goes woody in the centre, pull it out and replant, since pieces strike readily.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock or in packs of ten 140mm pots. Tubes are small rooted cuttings and the economical choice for covering a large area, usually flowering in their first full summer. The 140mm plants are further along and start spreading within weeks of planting.

Succulents travel well, though a bruised leaf or two can simply be removed. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Water once at planting, then hold off for a week to let any damaged tissue seal. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to choosing groundcover plants
• Trailing plants for retaining walls
• Browse the groundcover range
• Compare salt tolerant coastal plants

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 40cm spacing, about six plants per square metre. A pack of ten 140mm plants covers roughly one and a half square metres once grown together.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. An occasional cold morning is survivable, but repeated hard frosts turn the foliage to mush. In cold districts use it in pots that can be moved.

How often should I water it?

Weekly for the first six weeks, then rarely. Established plants get through a normal summer on rainfall alone, and constant watering rots the stems at soil level.

Does it spread where I do not want it?

It creeps outward at the edges rather than seeding through the garden, so it stays controllable. Trim the perimeter once or twice a year to hold the line.

Western Australia: this plant is listed as an environmental weed in WA, where it escapes from gardens into bushland. We do not recommend it for WA gardens. Please choose a local alternative.