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Ice plants (Carpobrotus)
Also known as : Pigfaces, Sour figs
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.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Succulent
Key Facts About Ice plants
Feedback
Attributes of Ice plants
Plant Height
20 cm
Spread
6 m
Leaf type
Evergreen
Ideal Temperature
15 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Ice plants
Phylum
Vascular plants
Class
Dicotyledons
Order
Pinks, cacti, and allies
Family
Fig-marigold
Genus
Ice plants
Distribution of Ice plants
Feedback
Distribution Map of Ice plants
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Ice plants
Feedback
The ice plants genus, also called 'Ice Plants', thrives in full sun, needs moderate water supply, and prefers sandy or well-draining soil. Optimal growth temperature ranges between 15-25°C. Common challenges include pests like snails and diseases such as root rot. Being a succulent, it is susceptible to overwatering, particularly in winter. Spring and summer demand ample light and water, while lower watering is required in autumn and winter to prevent rot. Appreciating different seasons, ice plants can adapt to diverse weather conditions.
How to Water Ice plants?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Ice plants?
How to Propagate Ice plants?
How to Plant Ice plants?
Exploring the Ice plants Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Lime sourfig is a striking succulent with fleshy, triangular leaves that sprawl out from its base. Its vibrant daisy-like flowers range in color from vivid magenta to softer pink shades, and flourish in the warm sun. Thriving in sandy soils, lime sourfig is well-adapted to coastal environments, displaying a natural resilience to salty winds and dry conditions. Its creeping stems help stabilize the soil, showcasing an important ecological role in its native habitat.
Eastern sourfig
Eastern sourfig is a hardy succulent characterized by its sprawling, mat-forming habit. Its thick, fleshy leaves function as water reservoirs, thriving in dry conditions. Vivid daisy-like flowers emerge amidst the foliage, signaling its adaptation to attract pollinators in sparse habitats. This plant's resilience and striking blossoms make it both a survivor and a spectacle in arid environments.
Mountain sourfig
Mountain sourfig is a succulent groundcover with fleshy, triangular green leaves that often exhibit reddish tints. Its vibrant, daisy-like flowers range in color from yellow to orange, blossoming predominantly in the warmer months. Native to South African coasts, mountain sourfig thrives in sandy soils, with a notable capacity to endure saline conditions and drought, making it a resilient component of coastal ecosystems.
All Species of Ice plants
Hottentot fig
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.
Hottentot fig
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.
Sea fig
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.
Angular sea-fig
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.
Australian pig face
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
Lime sourfig
Lime sourfig is a striking succulent with fleshy, triangular leaves that sprawl out from its base. Its vibrant daisy-like flowers range in color from vivid magenta to softer pink shades, and flourish in the warm sun. Thriving in sandy soils, lime sourfig is well-adapted to coastal environments, displaying a natural resilience to salty winds and dry conditions. Its creeping stems help stabilize the soil, showcasing an important ecological role in its native habitat.
Eastern sourfig
Eastern sourfig
Eastern sourfig is a hardy succulent characterized by its sprawling, mat-forming habit. Its thick, fleshy leaves function as water reservoirs, thriving in dry conditions. Vivid daisy-like flowers emerge amidst the foliage, signaling its adaptation to attract pollinators in sparse habitats. This plant's resilience and striking blossoms make it both a survivor and a spectacle in arid environments.
Mountain sourfig
Mountain sourfig
Mountain sourfig is a succulent groundcover with fleshy, triangular green leaves that often exhibit reddish tints. Its vibrant, daisy-like flowers range in color from yellow to orange, blossoming predominantly in the warmer months. Native to South African coasts, mountain sourfig thrives in sandy soils, with a notable capacity to endure saline conditions and drought, making it a resilient component of coastal ecosystems.
Sour fig
Sour fig
Sour fig is a succulent groundcover with fleshy leaves and a creeping habit, thriving in coastal environments. The plant displays vibrant daisy-like flowers, often in shades of pink or purple, which contrast against its thick, triangular green leaves. This hardy species is well-adapted to sandy soils and tolerates salt spray, illustrating a remarkable resilience to harsh seaside conditions.
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Ice plants
Carpobrotus
Also known as: Pigfaces, Sour figs
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.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Succulent
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Key Facts About Ice plants
Feedback
Attributes of Ice plants
Plant Height
20 cm
Spread
6 m
Leaf type
Evergreen
Ideal Temperature
15 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Ice plants
Phylum
Vascular plants Class
Dicotyledons Order
Pinks, cacti, and allies Family
Fig-marigold Genus
Ice plants Distribution of Ice plants
Feedback
Distribution Map of Ice plants
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Ice plants
Feedback
The ice plants genus, also called 'Ice Plants', thrives in full sun, needs moderate water supply, and prefers sandy or well-draining soil. Optimal growth temperature ranges between 15-25°C. Common challenges include pests like snails and diseases such as root rot. Being a succulent, it is susceptible to overwatering, particularly in winter. Spring and summer demand ample light and water, while lower watering is required in autumn and winter to prevent rot. Appreciating different seasons, ice plants can adapt to diverse weather conditions.
How to Water Ice plants?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Ice plants?
How to Propagate Ice plants?
How to Plant Ice plants?
Exploring the Ice plants Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
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.
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.
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.
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.
Show More Species
All Species of Ice plants
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
