I'm easily sold on a pretty plant and wandering around the Natural Gardener last week I spotted this plant. It was growing in a pot, covered with pretty bicolor, straw flower looking blooms. "This plant not for sale" said the sign next to the pot. Smaller one gallon pots of the plant, not in flower, were for sale. I bought one. Talk about impulse buy. I was there to look for pepper plants and left with none.
The plant is Drosanthemum bicolor and like many of the ice plants it hails from South Africa. I have found the ice plant does well in my rocky alkaline soils so lets see how this performs. For now this specimen has been potted up and I intend to take cuttings which will be planted outside next spring. I have had tremendous success with propagating ice plants and other succulents from cutting. The best medium for their propagation has been pumice.The plant surprised me with its first bloom today and of course I rushed out there with camera in hand to take its pretty picture.
How beautiful! It looks as though it is lit from within--a sunny happy flower. I love the Natural Gardener, and always come away with much more than I plan to get. The prices are very reasonable, and the variety is amazing.
ReplyDeleteOH no!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou've gone black. Now I have to read you on the RSS without stylesheets.
What a pity.
Morning glories- Isn't it the most wonderful nursery and right on my doorstep!
ReplyDeleteJoco- What on earth do you mean. You'll have to explain your problem. what is RSS and what are stylesheets?
I haven't seen that Ice Plant, only the pink one. It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love that ice plant flower!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is unusual and I love the coloration. I hope it roots well for you. Ice plant is one of the few foolproof plants for me, but weirdly, the foolproof only extends to the magenta-flowered varieties.
ReplyDeleteSweet Bay- They are alwys introducing new plants and this is a first this year.
ReplyDeleteLori-I have had trouble in the past with the yellow one. Instead of buying this year I rooted some cuttings and we'll see how they get on. This one is staying in a pot for the time being. The one at the natural gardener was in a pot and it was quit big.