Name: Coopers Pink Ice Plant
Brand: Texas Tree Farms
Price: 9.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Price

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1 Gallon

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Cooper's Pink Ice Plant is a fast-growing, mat-forming perennial succulent native to the high-elevation grasslands of South Africa. Named for the shimmering, crystal-like papillae on its foliage that glitter like frost in direct sunlight, this low-growing groundcover forms a dense, succulent carpet just three to six inches tall. Its fleshy, cylindrical, needle-like leaves are bright lime-to-medium green through spring and summer, shifting to a bronze-purple hue during the winter months. Beginning in late spring and continuing through autumn, the plant is blanketed in brilliant, daisy-like magenta-pink blossoms with bright yellow centers. These vibrant flowers open fully in direct sunlight and close each evening or on overcast days, providing a continuous pop of electric color.

In rock gardens, xeriscapes, and coastal landscapes, Cooper's Pink Ice Plant spreads quickly to cover eighteen to twenty-four inches per plant, rooting wherever its trailing fleshy stems touch warm soil. It serves as an outstanding weed-suppressing groundcover for sunny slopes, retaining walls, gravel pathways, and borders, and it cascades beautifully when planted in container edges or hanging baskets. Beyond its ornamental charm, its nectar-rich flowers draw in honeybees, butterflies, and native pollinators throughout the summer.

Culturally, Cooper's Pink Ice Plant is an exceptionally tough, heat-tolerant, and drought-resistant plant suitable for USDA Zones 6a through 10b. It strictly requires full sun exposure (at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily) to encourage rich flower production and maintain tight, compact foliage. It thrives in lean, gravelly, sandy, or rocky soils with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH, but its absolute survival depends on sharp soil drainage. While cold-hardy down to -10°F, wet winter soil is its primary enemy and will lead to root rot. Naturally deer- and rabbit-resistant, it requires virtually no routine maintenance once established beyond trimming away winter-burnt stem tips in late spring.

Scientific Name	Delosperma cooperi (syn. Mesembryanthemum cooperi)
Foliage: Evergreen	Herbaceous to broadleaf evergreen succulent; low-growing, mat-forming, trailing groundcover. Leaves: Fleshy, cylindrical, needle-like succulent leaves (1–2 inches long); bright lime to medium green coated with reflective, crystal-like papillae that sparkle like ice; shifts to reddish-bronze in winter. Flowers: Abundant, daisy-like composite blooms (1.5–2 inches wide); vibrant magenta-pink to purplish-pink with yellow centers; petals open in direct sunlight and close at night or during overcast weather. Fruit: Small, multi-celled succulent seed capsules (dry valves) that open when wet to release seeds. Non-edible. Seeds: Tiny, dust-like seeds dispersed when water triggers the capsule to open. Bark: Non-woody; tender, fleshy green-to-reddish creeping trailing stems that root at nodes.
Life Span: Perennial	10–20+ years under optimal well-drained conditions
Mature Height	3–6 inches
Mature Width (Spread)	18–24 inches (Forms a dense carpet over time)
Growth Rate	Fast
USDA Zone / Chill Hours	Zones 6a–10b (Cold-hardy down to -10°F to -5°F / -23°C to -20°C if soil remains bone-dry in winter); No chill hours required

PLANT CARE & CHARACTERISTICS

Light Requirements: Full Sun (Requires 6–8+ hours of direct sunlight daily for heavy blooming and tight, compact foliage).

Water Requirements: Low; requires light watering while establishing, then extremely low moisture needs.

Drought Resistance: Exceptional (Fleshy succulent foliage stores abundant water).

Soil Type: Demands sharply draining soil; thrives in gravelly, sandy, rocky, or lean soils; pH 6.0–8.0; highly sensitive to soggy, waterlogged winter soils which cause root rot.

Deer Resistance: High (Unpalatable to deer and rabbits).

Pest / Disease Resistance: Exceptional resistance to heat, drought, and poor soils; susceptible to root rot and mealybugs if overwatered or planted in heavy clay.

Pollination: Insect-pollinated; major nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.

Pruning: Minimal required; trim dead foliage or damaged trailing stems in late spring after new growth appears. Avoid heavy pruning in autumn.