Lampranthus spectabilisIce plantTrailing succulent ground cover...

Lampranthus spectabilis

Ice plant

Trailing succulent ground cover with brightly colored flowers

Ten or 15 years ago, ice plant was a popular choice for covering ground that didn’t have much (or any) foot traffic. It lined freeways and sprawled over hillsides from the seashore to the desert, and its very familiarity bred contempt.

Then came the droughts, and while homeowners pondered the brown patch that had once been a lawn, quite a few of them remembered good old ice plant, which needs no water at all, zero, in most areas of Southern California. Even in summer.

But ice plants have other virtues besides their lack of thirst. In spring, most species, especially spectabilis, are covered with flowers in every color except blue. The 1- to 3-inch blooms are so thick it is sometimes impossible to see the leaves. This is just as well on some of the larger species because the leaves are thick and fleshy, and the plants sometimes become lanky, leaving those ugly bare patches of soil that gardeners dread.

L. spectabilis is a tidier plant, about 12 inches tall with a 2-foot spread, and its gray-green leaves are handsome even when the plant is not in bloom.

Like most succulents, ice plant is easily propagated by stem cuttings, so it is relatively inexpensive to increase one’s holdings.

When buying ice plant, choose one in bloom so you’ll get the exact color you want. The best selection is available in February and March, although the best time to plant, at least in frosty areas, is late March and April. It blooms from February through April, then comes back in the fall for another show.

Ice plant requires full sun and an undisturbed location; humans, even dogs, trampling over it will ruin a plant’s looks and health. It usually is available in nurseries through spring; once in the ground, the plants should receive some water until they are established. It helps plant growth if the flowers are cut back after bloom, but this isn’t essential; wonderful ice plant can be neglected with impunity.