Family Name: Aizoaceae
Region of Origin: South Africa
Scientific Name: Lampranthus Glaucus
It is a succulent.
Drought Smart Plants reply:
Mesembryanthemum, or Livingstone Daisy
The livingstone daisy I know from childhood is Mesembryanthemum, which is slightly different.
These are great little annual plants that can be seeded directly into a hot dry area where nothing else will grow and bloom in a profuse array of peach, pink, pale yellow and white daisy like blooms.
Some of the plants known as Livingstone daisy or ice plant only have white or bright yellow flowers, which are still pretty, but don’t have the impact of the pastels.
The blooms only open in full sun, and stay closed up on cloudy or rainy days, so a warm sunny climate with a bed in full sun is essential.
Other similar plants that can be used for colourful groundcovers are Portulaca and Delosperma.
These fill the same niche, a warm rapidly draining hillside or slope with poor soil and little to no irrigation where nothing else wants to grow.
Try some of these hardy and drought tolerant succulents from seed, or find them in most garden centers in the spring.
Happy Low Maintenance Landscaping!
Jacki
