How to Grow Lampranthus Plants

Guide to Growing Lampranthus, Ice Plant

Members of Lampranthus are half hardy perennials.

They flower in the spring with daisy like flowers of orange, pink, white or purple.

Lampranthus zeyheri
Lampranthus zeyheri by Leo-setä.

They make ideal plants for use as a container plant or in garden beds.

Lampranthus aureus
Lampranthus aureus by Derek Keats.

Commonly Grown Lampranthus Species

Lampranthus deltoides

Lampranthus deltoides
Lampranthus deltoides Syn. Oscularia deltoides (Deltoid-leaved dewplant), photograph by cultivar413; CC.

Lampranthus aurantiacus

Lampranthus aurantiacus
Lampranthus aurantiacus (Trailing Iceplant), picture by Manuel m. v.; CC.

Lampranthus Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Lampranthus, Ice Plant
Life Cycle: Half hardy perennial.
Height: 8 to 24 inches (20 to 60 cm), often grows prostrate.
Native: Southern Africa.
Family: Aizoaceae (previously Ficoidaceae).
Growing Region: Zones 9 to 10.

Flowers: Spring and/ summer and/or autumn.
Flower Details: Yellow, red, white, purple, orange, pink. Daisy-like ray and disc florets. Up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
Foliage: Succulent. Blue-green. Dark green. Fused at the base of the plant.

Sow Outside: Cover seed. After the last frost. Spacing 6 to 24 inches (15 to 60 cm).
Sow Inside: Germination time: two weeks to one month. Temperature: 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) in the dark. Seven or eight weeks in advance. Transplant outdoors following the last frost of spring; temperatures should not drop below 40°F (4°C).

Requirements and care: Full sunlight. Good drainage. Stony, sandy. Mix in manure. Likes dry soils. Occasional watering during dry periods; can survive droughts. Prune dead stems in the autumn. Propagate: by taking cuttings in the spring or summer.
Miscellaneous: The name of the genus Lampranthus comes from the Greek words for bright (Lampros) and flower (anthos).

How to Grow Lampranthus

If planning to grow Lampranthus outdoors from the off it is best to sow out the seed in following the last frost of spring, simply cover the seeds.

The seeds should be sown in a sunny area of the garden that has excellent drainage.

The soil should be dry and stony; at the time of sowing add manure.

When starting to grow Lampranthus plants indoors first, then they should be started about two months before they are due to be transplanted out; a few weeks after the last frost of spring.

They will take from two to four weeks to germinate in the dark at a temperature of 18 to 24 degrees Centigrade (64 to 75°F).

Caring for Lampranthus Plants

Once the Lampranthus plants are growing in the garden they are easy to look after.

They like to grow in dry soil so only water in very prolonged dry spells.

Once the season is over, cut the plants back by pruning the dead stems in the autumn.

If you want more plants then take cuttings in the springtime.

I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Lampranthus plants. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's Growing Guides: How to Grow Mesembryanthemum; Hutchinsia; Asclepias incarnata; and Sedum plants.