Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Moon Stone'

Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Moon Stone': Cool White Calm in Hot Gravel

White daisy flowers with bright yellow centres that open in the sunshine and close up every evening. This ice plant keeps better hours than your teenager. LIGHTS OUT AT DUSK, NO ARGUMENTS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Delosperma cooperi 'Jewel of Desert Moon Stone'
• Common Name: Hardy Ice Plant
• Series: Jewel of Desert
• Height: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
• Spread: 20–30 cm (8–12 in)
• Flowers: White, daisy-like, with a bright yellow centre. They open in sunshine and close in the evening.
• Bloom Time: Late spring to fall (May to September)
• Foliage: Small, succulent green leaves forming a compact, low mat

Where to Plant: It's at home in rock gardens, gravel gardens, wall crevices, container edges and sunny strips beside paving. Plant it where you'll see it in the evening, since white flowers catch the last light.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Moon Stone' at the front of a sunny, dry bed with strawberry, rose and blue. Salvia 'Rose Marvel' adds deep rose spikes at 30 to 35 cm from June to September. Achillea 'Strawberry Seduction' brings strawberry-red heads at 45 to 50 cm from June to September. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' adds violet-blue spikes at 60 to 90 cm from July to September. Pennisetum alopecuroides arches behind at 75 to 100 cm with soft bottlebrush plumes.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in light, fast-draining soil. Sand or grit is welcome. Water during the first few weeks while it roots in, then only during extended dry weather. Don't fertilize. The cold rarely kills ice plants here. Wet feet do. Avoid heavy clay and spots where meltwater pools in spring. A slope, raised bed or rock wall makes a big difference. Keep heavy mulch and leaf piles off the plant in winter. No cutting back is needed. Clean up any dead patches in spring, and replant rooted pieces from the edges to fill gaps.

History: Delosperma is a South African genus of succulents, and Delosperma cooperi is the hardy species that most cold-climate ice plants trace back to. The Jewel of Desert series, including Moon Stone, was bred in Japan by Koichiro Nishikawa.

Final Thoughts: Drought tolerant once established, deer resistant and loved by bees and butterflies. Plant it in the hottest spot you've got. A MOONSTONE THAT LOVES THE SUN.