How To Grow Mesembryanthemum: The Rules for Making It Live a Long Time

How To Grow Mesembryanthemum: The Rules for Making It Live a Long Time – This colorful and charming succulent plant also lives well in an apartment: here’s how you can take care of it to make it grow lush and healthy (even if you don’t have the greenest thumb!).

Like all succulents, the Mesembryanthemum (many call it ‘Ice Plants’) does not need excessive care, especially when it comes to watering.

But this succulent with bright and beautiful flowers still requires some care: here’s how to grow it so that it lives long and blooms at its best, either in the garden or in a pot you can keep indoors, or outdoors.

Mesembryanthemum

What it is

Mesembryanthemum, perhaps, is a name that doesn’t ring a bell. But look at the picture: it is simply this succulent plant, a succulent of South African origin in the Aizoaceae family.

With brightly colored, purple flowers and small, compact bushes, Mesembryanthemum has gray-green needle-shaped leaves. Like a bit of all succulent, it can survive for a long time in scorching heat and with little water, since its fleshy stem and leaves retain fluids for its well-being. Mesembryanthemum can therefore be found both outdoors, in warm frost-free areas and mixed beds, and indoors, in classic succulent plant pots.

What about its characteristic flowers? They are not present all year round, but the bloom is nonetheless long and occurs between May and October.

Mesembryanthemum or Ice Plants

Where to keep it

If you keep it indoors, as a houseplant, choose a sunny area without temperature changes. In this case, every two years or so you will need to repot the plant in a slightly larger pot so that the roots can find space.

If, on the other hand, you want to grow it in a garden, make sure it lives in a temperate area not subject to winter frosts. In fact, Mesembryanthemum lives happily in warm, dry, and sunny climates, not even fearing drought, but cold and frost can be detrimental.

Succulent Plant: Mesembryanthemum

How to care for it

As for watering, Mesembryanthemum does not want a lot of water. In the house, therefore, water it minimally, especially in autumn and winter, only when the soil is completely dry. Frequency? More or less every ten days, but watch your plant to see what it really needs: it all varies depending on the area, the humidity, and the pot you keep it in.

If your plant is outside, let rainwater nourish it; water only during particularly dry periods to encourage summer flowering as well.

Finally, when you find dry branches or leaves, cut them off with a sharp knife or pruning shears to keep your plant tidy. Do the same with wilted flowers so that the next bloom will be encouraged.