Quick, name a plant that survives equally well in central Texas, the mountains of Colorado, and chilly northeast Ohio. Give up? Delosperma, available in several species and varieties from Green Leaf Plants®.
Commonly called (ironically enough) Ice Plants, these resilient performers not only stand up to blistering sun, sandy soils and drought, they thrive in these conditions, and most are reliably hardy overwintering in Zones 4 to 5, depending on variety. They’re ideal choices for green roofs, rock gardens and other punishing, arid locations.
With a mature height of only 1 to 4 inches, Delosperma make outstanding weed-smothering groundcovers that will brighten places few other plants dare to go. Green Leaf Plants offers a good selection of these durable plants, including popular varieties from Plant Select®: dyeri Red Mountain®, floribundum Starburst®, Lavender Ice and Mesa Verde®. There are also three additional varieties in the offering this year: ashtonii ‘Blut’ with startling magenta flowers that explode over deep green succulent foliage; ‘Oberg’ with light pink buds that open to white flowers; and congestum, one of the big hits in their trial garden, with cheery, luminous yellow flowers that contrast well with the wonderful green foliage. This variety was also the earliest to flower in trials.
For more information on all of Green Leaf Plants’ Delosperma varieties, visit their website or contact Christine Kelleher by e-mail or phone at 800.232.9557, ext. 2512. Ordering information is available from Customer Service at 800.321.9573 or perennials@GLPlants.com.
Source: Aris Horticultural Services
