Carpobrotus dimidiatus

The Natal sour fig, a trailing mat-forming ice plant of the warm, humid subtropical coast from the Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal to southern Mozambique, with magenta-pink flowers and edible fruit. Unlike the Cape species it comes from a summer-rainfall coast, so it likes warmth, full sun and steady moisture in summer.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Coastal dunes, sandy foreshores and rocky headlands just above the high-tide line, sprawling over sand in full sun and salt spray.

Essentially a sea-level plant; recorded at 5–15 m.

Eastern CapeKwaZulu-NatalSouthern Mozambique

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Carpobrotus dimidiatus? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Carpobrotus

Carpobrotus edulis Carpobrotus modestus Carpobrotus glaucescens Carpobrotus rossii Carpobrotus chilensis Carpobrotus acinaciformis Carpobrotus virescens Carpobrotus aequilaterus Carpobrotus mellei Carpobrotus deliciosus Carpobrotus muirii Carpobrotus quadrifidus All 20 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.