Ice plants
Botanical name: Carpobrotus
Ice plants
Botanical name: Carpobrotus
Description
The ice plants (Carpobrotus) are a small group of low-growing flowering plants in the fig-marigold family. These plants' flowers are usually showy and daisy-like in appearance. Their blooms, coupled with their spreading growth habit and their drought tolerance, makes many ice plants useful as ornamental groundcover, especially in arid climates. The common name "ice plants" is a reference not to these plants' flowers, but their fruits, which are said to look like pig's faces.
Species of Ice plants
Sea fig
Sea fig is an edible, ornamental succulent. The plant's leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. However, its fruit is very sour if it is not ripe. In warm temperate coastal areas, it has become an invasive weed.
Hottentot fig
Hottentot fig is a succulent member of the marigold family. This creeping perennial produces brightly colored pinkish-purple flowers. Native to South Africa, it is often grazed on by tortoises. It is sometimes cultivated in coastal gardens and has naturalized in parts of the U.K.
Hottentot fig
Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) is a ground-creeper native to South Africa. Hottentot fig is also sometimes called the highway ice plant, the pigface, and the sour fig. This species is pollinated by honey bees, carpenter bees, and beetles. Antelope and baboons are fond of eating hottentot fig flowers. This species is considered invasive in California and Australia. Hottentot fig has edible leaves and fruit, which can be made into a tart jam.
Australian pig face
Australian pig face has long been an important part of Australian culture. This coastal grower stabilizes sand dunes and produces bright pink flowers with yellow centers, giving it a pig snout appearance.
Lime sourfig
The lime sourfig (Carpobrotus muirii) are a small group of low-growing flowering plants in the fig-marigold family. These plants' flowers are usually showy and daisy-like in appearance. Their blooms, coupled with their spreading growth habit and their drought tolerance, makes many lime sourfig useful as ornamental groundcover, especially in arid climates. The common name "lime sourfig" is a reference not to these plants' flowers, but their fruits, which are said to look like pig's faces.
Sour fig
The sour fig (Carpobrotus deliciosus) are a small group of low-growing flowering plants in the fig-marigold family. These plants' flowers are usually showy and daisy-like in appearance. Their blooms, coupled with their spreading growth habit and their drought tolerance, makes many sour fig useful as ornamental groundcover, especially in arid climates. The common name "sour fig" is a reference not to these plants' flowers, but their fruits, which are said to look like pig's faces.
Eastern sourfig
The eastern sourfig (Carpobrotus dimidiatus) are a small group of low-growing flowering plants in the fig-marigold family. These plants' flowers are usually showy and daisy-like in appearance. Their blooms, coupled with their spreading growth habit and their drought tolerance, makes many eastern sourfig useful as ornamental groundcover, especially in arid climates. The common name "eastern sourfig" is a reference not to these plants' flowers, but their fruits, which are said to look like pig's faces.
Mountain sourfig
The mountain sourfig (Carpobrotus mellei) are a small group of low-growing flowering plants in the fig-marigold family. These plants' flowers are usually showy and daisy-like in appearance. Their blooms, coupled with their spreading growth habit and their drought tolerance, makes many mountain sourfig useful as ornamental groundcover, especially in arid climates. The common name "mountain sourfig" is a reference not to these plants' flowers, but their fruits, which are said to look like pig's faces.
Angular sea-fig
The succulent leaves are 3.5 to 10 cm long and 9 to 15 mm wide, straight or slightly curved. The flowers are 3 to 6 cm wide, and light purple. The red to purple fruit is 2 to 3 cm long and 1.6 to 2.5 cm wide.
Care Guide for Ice plants
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Vascular plants Class
Dicotyledons Order
Pinks, cacti, and allies Family
Fig-marigold Genus
Ice plants 
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