Carpobrotus edulis

Carpobrotus edulis, the sour fig or Hottentot fig, is a vigorous trailing ice plant with thick three-angled leaves and large yellow to pink flowers, native to coastal dunes and sandy flats of South Africa's Cape. It is easy in full sun and sandy soil, and is a serious invasive in Mediterranean climates elsewhere, so keep it contained.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets 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 flats, cliff tops and fynbos margins, sprawling as dense mats over sand in full exposure.

Few records carry an elevation; it is mostly coastal, from sea level to a few hundred metres.

Cape Provinces

🔒 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 edulis? 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 modestus Carpobrotus glaucescens Carpobrotus rossii Carpobrotus chilensis Carpobrotus acinaciformis Carpobrotus virescens Carpobrotus aequilaterus Carpobrotus mellei Carpobrotus deliciosus Carpobrotus muirii Carpobrotus quadrifidus Carpobrotus dimidiatus 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 3.0 licence, unmodified.