Ice Plant: Invasive or Not? The Truth About This Spreading Succulent

Ice Plant is well known for its vibrant flowers, drought tolerance, and ability to quickly cover large areas of ground. While these qualities have made it a popular landscaping plant for decades, they have also earned certain species a reputation as aggressive invaders in many coastal regions around the world. In this Garden Blog, we'll explain what the Ice Plant is, how it spreads, whether it is invasive or toxic, and where it still has value in the landscape. We'll also compare the two most common types gardeners encounter: Carpobrotus edulis, the highly invasive species found in many coastal habitats, and Delosperma, a well behaved ornamental groundcover that is widely grown in home gardens.

By: Reggie Meehan (7/23/2026)

What is Ice Plant?

Ice Plant is the common name for a group of colorful, drought-tolerant succulent groundcovers, many of which are native to South Africa. In their native environment, nature keeps them in check through insects, plant diseases, competing vegetation, and the natural balance of the ecosystem. The trouble begins when that balance disappears. In the early 1900s, Carpobrotus edulis, better known as Highway Ice Plant, was introduced to California as a quick solution for erosion control on highways, railroad embankments, and coastal bluffs.

At first, it seemed like a perfect plant.. fast-growing, tough, and able to thrive where little else would. Unfortunately, that same vigorous growth is exactly what turned it into one of California's most destructive invasive plants. Today, it spreads aggressively across coastal dunes and bluffs, crowding out native plants, altering soil chemistry, and reducing valuable habitat for wildlife. It's a good reminder that even beautiful, useful plants can become a problem when they're grown far from the ecosystems where they naturally belong.

However, Caropbrotus is not the only Ice Plant. Many different succulents are commonly called Ice Plants, but the name most often refers to two main groups: Carpobrotus and Delosperma. While Carpobrotus is best known for becoming invasive in parts of California, Delosperma is a well behaved relative that is widely grown in ornamental gardens. Both groups earned the name "Ice Plant" because their thick, fleshy leaves are covered with tiny, glistening cells that sparkle in the sunlight, giving the appearance of being coated with frost or ice crystals.

Carpobrotus vs. Delosperma

Characteristics of Carpobrotus

While Carpobrotus poses its greatest threat in California and other Mediterranean climate regions, I would not reccomend planting Carpobrotus in general, but defenitely do not plant it where it can survive year after year. Carpobrotus is generally perennial in USDA Zones 9–11, where Winters are mild and hard freezes are uncommon. Mild coastal climates provide ideal conditions for rapid spread, allowing the plant to escape cultivation and invade natural habitats.

Extremely Aggressive Spreader

Carpobrotus can spread several feet each year under favorable coastal conditions, forming dense mats that blanket dunes, hillsides, coastal bluffs, and grasslands. These sprawling colonies block sunlight, monopolize water and nutrients, and prevent native seedlings from becoming established, eventually replacing diverse plant communities with nearly pure stands of Ice Plant. The resulting loss of biodiversity disrupts local ecosystems, reduces wildlife habitat, and makes restoration both challenging and expensive.

It reproduces through both aggressive vegetative growth and seed dispersal, making established infestations incredibly difficult to eliminate. Thick, trailing stems creep across the ground, rooting wherever they touch the soil and producing new plants without the need for seed. At the same time, birds, rabbits, rodents, and other wildlife consume the plant's fleshy fruits and disperse the seeds to new locations through their droppings. Even small stem fragments left behind after pruning, erosion, or construction can take root and develop into entirely new colonies.

Potential Fire Hazard

Ironically, a plant once introduced to reduce erosion can also contribute to fire hazards under the right conditions. Although living Carpobrotus leaves are thick and moisture rich, large, mature mats often accumulate layers of dead, dried stems and leaves beneath the green surface. This hidden buildup of dry plant material can become combustible during prolonged periods of hot, dry weather. When a fire reaches these accumulated layers, the dead biomass can ignite and help carry flames through the vegetation. In wildfire prone regions like California, poorly maintained Carpobrotus infestations can help wildfires spread, while also making post-fire habitat recovery more difficult due to the loss of native plant communities.

Alters Soil Chemistry

Carpobrotus doesn't just compete with native plants for space. Over time, it actively changes the environment around it. As its fleshy leaves and stems die and decompose, they release nutrients and salts that gradually alter the soil's chemistry. These changes can favor the continued growth of Carpobrotus while making conditions less suitable for many native coastal species that evolved in nutrient poor, well drained soils. Its dense, sprawling mats also block sunlight from reaching the ground, preventing native wildflowers, grasses, and seedlings from germinating.

Even after Carpobrotus is removed, restoration can be challenging. Altered soil conditions, buried seeds, and fragments of the plant left behind can allow it to quickly reestablish. Successful restoration often requires repeated removal efforts, replanting with native species, and ongoing monitoring for several years before a healthy, diverse plant community can recover.

What About Delosperma?

Now, before you swear off every plant labeled "Ice Plant," there's an important distinction to make. The overwhelming majority of Ice Plants sold at reputable garden centers are Delosperma, not Carpobrotus. Delosperma hybrids are non-invasive, drought-tolerant, and well-suited for rock gardens, borders, and containers, providing vibrant color without environmental harm.

Ornamental Groundcover 

As someone who's spent decades growing and evaluating plants, I can tell you Delosperma is one of my favorite drought tolerant groundcovers. It stays compact, produces an incredible display of bright, daisy-like flowers, and asks for very little in return. Varieties like Jewel of Desert and Rock Crystal Orange are outstanding performers in sunny gardens. Unlike many succulents, they're surprisingly cold hardy, thrive in rocky or sandy soils, and require very little supplemental watering once established.

I especially like using them in rock gardens, along retaining walls, in raised beds, and spilling over the edges of containers where their colorful blooms can really shine. They spread gradually without becoming aggressive, making them easy to manage in most home landscapes. That said, I always recommend purchasing named Delosperma cultivars from a reputable nursery and avoiding unknown Ice Plants collected from roadsides or shared from invasive populations. Even well behaved ornamentals should be planted responsibly and kept away from sensitive natural areas where they don't belong.

Pollinator Value

Delosperma isn't just a beautiful groundcover. It's also a dependable nectar source for pollinators. The bright, open flowers attract bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects throughout the growing season. Because many varieties bloom from late spring well into fall, they provide a reliable food source during periods when other flowering plants may slow down.

One thing I've always appreciated is how effortlessly Delosperma performs. Even during stretches of intense heat and drought, it continues producing flowers when many other perennials have finished blooming. If you're trying to build a water wise, pollinator friendly landscape, it's a plant that delivers far more than its size would suggest.

Never Plant Carpobrotus

While the name "Ice Plant" often carries a negative reputation, Delosperma is an outstanding ornamental groundcover that offers exceptional drought tolerance, vibrant flowers, and valuable pollinator support without the invasive tendencies. Carpobrotus, on the other hand, should never be planted due to the extensive ecological damage it can and has caused. If you're shopping for an Ice Plant, always check the plant label and choose a named Delosperma cultivar from a reputable nursery. By choosing the right species, you can enjoy all the beauty and drought tolerance of Ice Plant while helping protect native ecosystems for future generations.