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Delosperma cooperi
Also called Coopers Iceplant, Purple Iceplant, Purple Trailing Sheepfig, Trailiing Ice Plant, Pink Carpet, Pink Trailing Iceplant
Delosperma cooperi, the hardy or trailing iceplant, is a low, mat-forming succulent perennial from South Africa, prized for its carpet of pink, magenta or purple daisy-like flowers. Grow it in full sun with fast-draining soil and avoid waterlogging.
Delosperma cooperi (syn. Mesembryanthemum cooperi), the trailing iceplant, hardy iceplant or pink carpet, is a dwarf perennial plant native to South Africa. It forms a dense lawn with abundant, long-lasting flowers. It reaches sizes of approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall, with fleshy leaves that are linear and simple and can grow up to 1.5 inches long and a trailing stem that hangs down. These fleshy roots help provide the ability for the plants to recover and grow rapidly if a disturbance has occurred.
It can be cultivated in a wide range of areas with a Mediterranean climate. Unlike many ice plants, this species is hardy to −20 °F (−29 °C), successfully overwintering at locations such as Denver, Colorado and Chicago, Illinois. The leaves turn red in cold winter temperatures. Due to the low need for maintenance, it is suitable for urban environments and high temperature regions. It can often be found in large, extensive patches. The trailing stems also make it suitable for flowerpots and terraces.
Propagation can be accomplished by taking a flowerless cutting, stripping a couple of bottom leaves off, and then replanting in the same soil.
Aberdeen Sheepfig · Drakensberg Sheepfig · Delosperma lehmannii · Delosperma napiforme · Fire Sheepfig · Sheepfigs
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Delosperma cooperi by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
