Synonyms:

Accepted synonyms are:

• Delosperma pruinosum
• Drosanthemum pruinosum
• Mesembryanthemum echinatum

It’s commonly called Pickle plant or Ice plant.

Habitat:

Delosperma echinatum is a plant native to South Africa, at an altitude of 150-800 metres above sea level.

Description:

Delosperma echinatum is a perennial shrub that reach almost 40 cm in height. It has wiry stems that hold light green leaves, covered in water vesicles. Its leaves are also covered in soft white spines. During the spring season white to yellow flowers appear at the stem tips.

Cultivation:

Delosperma echinatum is an evergreen plant, that will only make some dieback during the winter. That makes this plant perfect as an year round ground cover. It grows very fast, it can become invasive if not contained. It tolerates cold and wet but suffers stagnation, so the soild has to be well drained, sandy or even rocky. Water it during spring and summer, but let the soild dry in between the waterings; avoid wet conditions.

D. echinatum prefers full sun to light shade exposure. It tolerates heat and cold: the plant can be also covered with a plastic shit during winter to prevent the exposition to intense frost.

Propagation:

Delosperma echinatum can be propagated from stem cuttings or by seed.

Curiosity:

Sometimes it is reported that these plants are mesembriantemi: it is, however, an incorrect or at least overwritten statement. The term mesembriantemi refers in fact to a genre of old cataloging which did not distinguish between delosperm and its closest relatives, such as drosanthemum and lampranthus (now considered distinct genera belonging to the aizoaceae family).