From Delosperma cooperi, known as klipvygie or Cooper’s ice plant, a range of vygies called ‘Wheels of Wonder’ were developed in different shades, and which flower profusely from early summer to autumn. D. cooperi is indigenous to South Africa, where it is mainly found in the drier parts of our country, so this is a no-fuss plant. The satiny petals of the large flowers have a luminous sheen in reddish orange, deep orange, gold, violet or pink, further enhanced with bright contrasting centres.
The plant is a succulent, evergreen perennial that has a creeping habit with small, closely branched, round leaves. The glistening quality of the leaves is due to water-containing cells on their surface, which catch and reflect light, hence the name ‘ice plant’.
In a nutshell:
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