Daily Botanical: Flowering Mesemb
These flowering succulents live in a container in my neighbour Barry’s garden. He has dedicated an entire section of his garden to alpine troughs, of which this is one. I know this plant is in the Mesembryanthemaceae family, I just don’t know which one. I’m going to go out on a limb and take a wild guess that it is closely related to the icicle plants that are taking over California, which would make it Lampranthus.
And with that paragraph, I think I just surpassed my daily geek out quota.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
Oh, how interesting that we can grow ice plant in Toronto — in a container! I didn’t think it was hardy here. The alpine treatment must be part of the secret.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
Helen: He over-winters a lot of his alpine troughs indoors.
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
I bought some of this. How do I keep it happy and flowering? It was doing very well before I put it out on my porch.
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:50 pm
The succulents are Delosperma congesta. And in fact are hardy here if given the right conditions. i.e. well drained growing medium and aa dry, sheltered space over the winter.
I wintered mine in a cold greenhouse, but a friend who also lives in Parkdale winters hers over outside covered with a frost blanket.
Interestingly, hers bloomed a week before mine.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Well, I wasn’t TOO far off. They are also commonly called “ice plant”. Thanks for letting us know Barry