Lampranthus aurantiacus Yellow Flowers

Lampranthus aurantiacus, or orange ice plant, bears magnificent sun-yellow flowers. This perennial with small succulent leaves is closely related to delosperma and drosanthemum, and is another South African plant that stands out for the inimitable brilliance of its small solar daisies, so intense that one almost looks away. The spectacle of its flowering vegetation is renewed for a long period. It loves the sun, the seaside, and poor soils, and can withstand very dry summers. It is a very sensitive plant. Grow it as an annual or in pots to be overwintered.

Lampranthus aurantiacus belongs to the Aizoaceae family. This family is represented by a large number of succulent perennials native to South Africa, East Africa, and Madagascar, which are perfectly suited to hot and dry climates and coastal conditions. They settle among stones, rocks, or dry slopes, as long as they find a bit of substrate. If your region is subject to frost, plant Lampranthus aurantiacus in a pot or container that you can bring indoors in winter.

The orange ice plant forms slightly creeping clumps, reaching about 35cm (14in) in height and 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in) in width. This plant develops slender stems covered with small, elongated, fleshy leaves, with a triangular section. They are blue-green and arranged in an opposite manner. The initially green stems become woody and brown with age. The flowering begins in March-April in mild climates and lasts for several weeks, but dries up in case of prolonged drought. The vegetation disappears under a mass of daisy-like flowers, 1.5cm (1in) in diameter. These flowers have very thin and elongated petals that surround a yellow centre. They only open in the sun.

If you like delosperma, you will succumb to the charm of ice plants. The 'Yellow Flowers' cultivar is a rock garden plant par excellence. It thrives in coastal gardens alongside sedums, sempervivums, and other small perennials such as South African daisies (felicia, osteospermum, dimorphoteca). Containers composed of ice plants and delosperma from the 'Wheels of Wonder' series with various colours will create a dazzling multicoloured carpet that is easy to maintain for a very long period.