Delosperma sphalmanthoides

Turfed Ice Plant and Dwarf Sea Anemone are the two common names given to Delosperma Sphalmanthoides. This evergreen plant is a native of South Africa and belongs to the Aizoaceae family. This tight mat-shaped succulent can be grown only about 1 inch tall. Growth Rate The turfed ice plant is known to spread faster than all other plants from the same family. It generally becomes double its initial size in the very first year. Flowering You will witness the magenta-colored flowers blooming in the early spring The leaves are tiny, finger-like and blue-grey in color. Watering and Feeding Delosperma Sphalmanthoides needs a lot of watering. If you water infrequently, you might cause their untimely death. Feed it with a cactus fertilizer once a month in spring and summer. Soil Buy or create a soil mix with extra pumice, perlite and less organic material Also, repot the plant during its active period which is the spring season. Hardiness Tufted ice plant has a hardiness zone of 5a to 9b. The succulent tends to get a little dry during the fall, signalling that it is ready for the cold weather. Their frost tolerance is between -28.9° C to -1.1° C. Light Since their native country is one where snow melts quickly, they prefer full sun. The brighter the sunlight they receive, the better for their growth. Propagation Division, cuttings, and seeds are methods of propagating the succulent. For division, spring is the ideal time and for the other two methods, you can propagate anytime. Do not confuse the Tufted Ice Plant with another plant also known as the ice plant. The latter is an invasive specie that looks somewhat similar. Delosperma Sphalmanthoides is non-invasive and suitable for both indoor and outdoor settings. Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz