Practical
Plants

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Ice Plant

a perennial member of the Mesembryanthemum genus in the family Aizoaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Aizoaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and stems - raw or cooked[9][11][12][13][8]. They can be used as a spinach substitute[5]. The leaves have an acid flavour, they are thick and very succulent with a slightly salty tang[4]. They can also be pickled like cucumbers or used as a garnish[4]. Fruit[12][2]. No more details are given. Seed - a famine food used when all else fails[3].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is demulcent and diuretic[7]. It is used in the treatment of inflammations of the pulmonary and genito-urinary mucous membranes[7]. The leaves are used in the treatment of ascites, dysentery and diseases of the liver and kidney[7].

Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Diuretic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The crushed foliage is a soap substitute[12].

Product or use
Soap

Environment

Range
S. Africa. Introduced and naturalized in S. Europe.
Habitat
Maritime sands and salt marshes[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse, only just covering the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Seedlings are prone to damp off so should not be over watered and should be kept in a very sunny well-ventilated position[6].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in an ordinary well-drained garden soil[1][11]. Succeeds in any well-drained low-fertility soil so long as it is in a sunny position[6]. A very ornamental plant, it is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves[1][8]. It is not very hardy in Britain and will be killed even by a light frost[8]. It is, therefore, usually grown as a half-hardy annual, being sown in a greenhouse in the spring and used for summer bedding[11]. Plants have few problems with pests or diseases though the young plants are prone to root rot and damping off unless given plenty of ventilation and dry growing conditions[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

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  10. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  11. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Coyle. J. and Roberts. N. C. A Field Guide to the Common and Interesting Plants of Baja California. Natural History Publishing Co. 1975-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩

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