Walnut Creek’s Ruth Bancroft is a national authority on drought-resistant gardening. Twice a month, she and her staff share their knowledge with readers.
The ice plant family, known botanically as the Aizoaceae, includes numerous species that are heavily concentrated in southern Africa. Some have a carpetlike spreading habit, while others form small clumps. Among the clumping types is a genus named Glottiphyllum, which consists of 16 species.
Glottiphyllums come from the southern part of South Africa, to the east of Cape Town. Most of the species occur in areas not far from the coast, which get some rainfall in both the summer and winter months. An exception is Glottiphyllum nelii, which comes from farther inland, where the rainfall is mostly in summer.
Glottiphyllum nelii has chubby succulent leaves with rounded tips, as well as little translucent speckles along the edges and at the tips. Like other kinds of Glottiphyllum, its leaves are soft and pliable (think gummy bears). The leaves are generally up to 2 inches long, but in a shady situation they may grow a bit longer. When not in full sun, the leaf color is usually bright green, occasionally with a slight bluish tinge. In strong sunlight, some may turn pink or purple, though our plants at the Ruth Bancroft Garden have never done this. The leaves grow in a fan shape, with new ones sticking upward and older ones spreading outward on either side of the growing tip.
The first of the bright yellow flowers of Glottiphyllum nelii appear as early as August and the last ones in November or December. Though the ice plants are not related to daisies, their many narrow petals give the flowers a daisylike appearance. The flowers are quite large for such a modest-sized plant, with a diameter of 1.5 inches to almost 2 inches.
Although Glottiphyllum plants are not difficult to grow, they are easily damaged because of the softness of their leaves. They should be handled gently when being transplanted. Like other succulents, they require excellent drainage. Some people have reported trouble with snails or slugs, but we have few of those at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. However, doves seem to find some kinds of Glottiphyllum tasty and will peck at them.
Email questions on drought-resistant plants to info@ruthbancroftgarden.org.
