How to Grow an Orange Bush Ice Plant

Orange bush ice plants, known botanically as Lampranthus aurantiacus, are popular flowering succulents indigenous to South Africa. Preferring the hot, dry climate of their native land, orange bush ice plants grow best in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 and 10. An excellent addition to warm climate gardens and home landscapes, orange bush ice plants are prized for their short, waxy leaves and 2-inch-wide orange blossoms that bloom in spring, summer and fall.

Things You'll Need

• Aged manure
• Peat moss
• Coarse builders sand
• Shovel
• Gardening fork or tiller
• Garden hose or watering can
• Flowering plant or cacti/succulent fertilizer

Instructions

1. Find a suitable planting for your orange bush ice plant in your garden or home landscape. Choose a full-sun location that receives six to eight hours of bright, direct sun each day. Select a planting location that also has well-draining soil, as waterlogged soil will cause the roots of your orange bush ice plant to rot.

2. Cover your chosen planting location in a 3-inch layer of equal parts aged manure, peat moss and coarse builders sand. Work the organic amendments into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches using a shovel, gardening fork or tiller.

3. Dig a planting hole for your orange bush ice plant that is large enough to comfortably house the roots of your plant and just deep enough to allow it to be planted at the same level it was growing in its nursery container. Space the planting holes 12 to 24 inches apart when planting multiple orange bush ice plants.

4. Center your orange bush ice plant in the hole and fill in the space around it with displaced amended soil. Pack down the surface of the soil to secure your orange bush ice plant.

5. Water your ice plant thoroughly after planting to help it adjust to its new location. Continue to provide 1 inch of supplemental irrigation per week to prevent the soil from drying out. Soak the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with each watering.

6. Fertilize once a month during the spring and summer to provide your plant with the nutrients it needs to produce healthy, vibrant blooms. Use a fertilizer that has been specially formulated for flowering plants or fertilize with a cacti or succulent fertilizer. For best results, use the fertilizer product according to package directions.

Tips & Warnings

• Orange bush ice plants can also be grown in containers using the same cultivation requirements.

• Orange bush ice plants are susceptible to a number of common insect pests and fungal diseases. Monitor your plant for signs of insect infestation or fungal disease and treat with an insecticide or fungicide, if necessary.

References

• "The Essential Garden"; Liz Dobbs; 2002
• Gardening EU: Lampranthus aurantiacus
• Gardening Australia: Lampranthus

Resources

• Desert Tropicals: Lampranthus aurantiacus