Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Garnet'

Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Garnet': Garnet Red Sparkle on Scorching Gravel

This ice plant is a garnet ring that grew roots and moved to the hottest spot in your yard. Red petals, a pink inner ring and a yellow centre, all on a low succulent mat that laughs at dry soil. BIRTHSTONE OF THE DRIVEWAY STRIP.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Delosperma cooperi 'Jewel of Desert Garnet'
• Common Name: Hardy Ice Plant
• Series: Jewel of Desert
• Height: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Red to red-orange petals with a pink inner ring and a yellow centre, about 5 cm (2 in) across. They open in sunshine.
• Bloom Time: Late spring to fall (May to September)
• Foliage: Small, succulent green leaves forming a low, dense mat
• Plant Patent: USPP 23,471

Where to Plant: Use it where the soil is thin, hot and dry: rock gardens, gravel beds, the tops of retaining walls, between flagstones at the edge of a path, or spilling out of a trough or container. Planted in groups, it knits into a low carpet of colour.

Companion Plants: Echinacea KISMET® 'Pink Lemonade' blooms from June to October and stays compact at 35 to 45 cm behind the red carpet. Anaphalis margaritacea 'New Snow' adds papery white flowers from July to September at 45 to 60 cm. Aster 'October Skies' brings lavender flowers in September and October. All three love full sun and sharp drainage.

Plant Care: Plant in spring once frost has passed, in full sun and sandy or gritty soil that drains quickly. Water regularly for the first few weeks so the roots settle in, then water only during long dry spells. Skip the fertilizer. Rich soil makes it floppy and less flowery. Cold is rarely the problem. Wet is. Heavy clay, low spots and soggy winter soil are what usually kill ice plants in Canadian gardens, so amend with grit or plant on a slope or raised bed. Don't bury it under a thick blanket of leaves or mulch for winter. No cutting back is needed. In spring, trim off any pieces that died over winter. Pieces from the edge of the mat root easily if you want more plants.

History: Delosperma cooperi comes from South Africa, and the genus name joins the Greek words for visible and seed. 'Jewel of Desert Garnet' was bred by Japanese hybridizer Koichiro Nishikawa and selected in his trial garden in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in November 2006.

Final Thoughts: Deer resistant, low maintenance and buzzing with bees. Plant it where the hose won't reach. BLING ON A BUDGET.