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The Sour Fig is easy to grow and thrives on neglect but is not frost-hardy 3. It needs well-drained soil, a sunny position and room to spread. It is an excellent evergreen drought-, and wind-resistant groundcover that can be planted on flat, sandy ground, on loose sand dunes, gravelly gardens, lime-rich and brackish soils as well as in containers, rockeries, embankments and will cascade over terrace walls 3. It is relatively shallow-rooting and is a good choice for a roof garden. Very effective when planted as a groundcover around the house to create a fire-resistant barrier in fire-prone areas 3. Don’t over-fertilise.
Seed can be sown in spring, early summer or autumn. Seedlings damp off easily and must be grown in pure sand for best results 3.
The Sour Fig roots very easily from cuttings. Take 20-30 cm long tip cuttings during the summer, and either plant where it is intended to grow or directly into a container filled with well-drained potting soil. No rooting hormone is needed 3.
Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Ice plant is a tender plant.Fruit is fleshy and edible, shaped like a spinning top on a winged stalk, becoming yellow and fragrant when ripe. The fruits can be eaten fresh, and have a strong, astringent, salty, sour taste. They are not as tasty as those of C. acinaciformis and C. deliciosus which are sweeter 3.
These estimates for how long Ice plant takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
The genus name Carpobrotus comes from the Greek, karpos, meaning fruit, and brotos, meaning edible.
The Latin species name, edulis, means edible.4
The Afrikaans common names ghaukum and ghoenavy come from old Khoikhoi names for the plant. The name Hotnotsvy (Hottentots fig) was in use as long ago as 1685 and is probably derived from the fact that the colonists to South Africa observed the Khoikhoi using this plant and eating its fruits. The developing fruits superficially resemble figs but it is in no way related to figs (Ficus species) 3.
Highway ice plant, Pigface, Hottentot fig, Hottentot's fig, Sour fig, Giant ice plant, Cape fig, Hottentots fig, Ghaukum (Afrikaans), Ghoenavy (Afrikaans), Hottentotsvy (Afrikaans), Kaapsevy (Afrikaans), suurvy (Afrikaans), ikhambi-lamabulawo (Zulu), umgongozi (Zulu), Gaukum (Afrikaans), Ghounavy (Afrikaans), Hotnotsvy (Afrikaans), 'khoi'-vy (Afrikaans), Strandvy (Afrikaans), Wilde Vijg (Afrikaans), Wildevijg (Afrikaans), Ikhambilamabulawo (Zulu)
Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L. Bolus, Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L.Bolus subsp. edulis, Abryanthemum edule, Abryanthemum edule (L.) Rothm., Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L.Bolus var. chrysophthalmus C.D.Preston & P.D.Sell, Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L.Bolus var. rubescen