White trailing ice plant - Inland Valley Garden Planner

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White trailing ice plant — Delosperma litorale

Description

White trailing ice plant is a low spreading succulent that can grow 6-12 in. and be planted to cover slopes, banks and parkways of any size. Triangular leaves are dull green; small white flowers are heaviest in mid spring and then occur intermittently throughout the year.

White trailing ice plant is an easy to grow and durable ground cover that can be planted at 12 in. apart to form a dense mat over soil surfaces. It adapts to a variety of soil types and requires low amounts of supplemental water. It can develop a 5-6 in. deep thatch of stems after 8-10 years that can be removed and replanted to refresh its character. Unrooted cuttings can be planted during the spring growing season to establish new plants.

Water Needs

The White trailing ice plant is well adapted all parts of the Inland Empire in sunny exposures with normal winter rains and low amounts of summer irrigation. The chart shown below provides a recommended baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth throughout the average year. It should be noted there are several months indicated by an asterisk (*) when winter rains often provides sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. The high and low range of moisture indicates it can grow with varying amounts of water; little supplemental water is needed during summer following the flowering cycle.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Low Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 1

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"

Range of supplemental summer water: 7"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-10"

0"-2"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.

For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.

Plant Properties

Plant Type: Ground cover, Succulent, Iceplant
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Spreading
Growth Rate: Moderate, Fast
Height: 6 in. - 12 in.
Width: 18 in. - 24 in.
Water Needs: Low 1
Foliage Color: Dull green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Drought, Coastal salt air, Aridity, All day sun
Function: Slopes, Rock gardens, Mass planting, Container plant, Banks

Maintenance

Trim edges and borders of plantings as necessary. Avoid allowing it to grow onto paved walkways because shoes stepping on the succulent leaves over concrete can create an instant slip hazard when stepped on. After multiple years of growth, ice plant can develop a layer of dried thatch below the active growth that can actually present a fire hazard in fire prone areas. Areas can be replanted by trimming plants, saving the younger actively growing sections, pulling, disposing of the older growth portion, and planting the cuttings to re-root and grow out (D).

References