Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Rocky Point ice plant
Rocky Point Ice Plant is a trailing succulent ground cover with bright green leaves and small yellow, daisy-like flowers that open off and on nearly all year. It stays under a foot tall and spreads 3 to 5 feet, making it a fast cover for beds and sunny slopes. Bees visit the flowers, and it takes cold down to about 10°F. It was collected from a yard in Rocky Point, Mexico.
Best for: fast cover for beds and sunny slopes, winter color, and pots and planters.
It grows fast into a low mat about 3 to 5 feet wide. Plant it 4 to 6 feet apart for a bed, or closer for faster cover.
Small yellow flowers open off and on nearly all year, with the most in spring. It was once a popular winter accent in Phoenix yards.
The flowers strongly attract bees. Birds sometimes peck the leaves in summer for moisture.
In the low desert it can burn back in summer and often lasts only 2 to 3 years in Phoenix. Poor drainage causes dieback, and it cannot take foot traffic.
- Ground cover bed4-6 ft apart
- Quick fill1 ft apart
Young ground cover plants have shallow roots and can need water every 2 or 3 days for the first 2 to 4 weeks. After that, stretch the time between waterings as the plants root in.
Once rooted, water every 5 to 10 days in hot, dry weather and every 3 to 6 weeks in winter if rain is short. Let the soil drain well between waterings.
In the low desert it can burn back in summer. Some afternoon shade and extra water in the hottest months help, and it grows back when the weather cools.
It is rated to about 20°F, so it rarely needs frost cover in the Valley. On the coldest nights, frost cloth protects new plantings.
Ground cover beds in the low desert often thin out within 2 to 4 years. Replant bare spots in fall or early spring, and keep people from walking on the bed.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How fast does Rocky Point ice plant spread?
It grows fast into a low mat 3 to 5 feet wide. Plant it 4 to 6 feet apart for a bed, or about 1 foot apart for quicker cover.
When does it bloom?
Small yellow flowers open off and on nearly all year, with the most in spring.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It takes full sun, but in the low desert some afternoon shade helps. It can burn back in summer and grows back when the weather cools.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 20°F.
How often should I water it?
Water new plants every 2 or 3 days for the first 2 to 4 weeks. Once rooted, water every 5 to 10 days in hot, dry weather, with extra during the hottest months.
How long does it last?
In Phoenix it often lasts about 2 to 3 years because of the summer heat. Replant bare spots in fall or early spring.
Can I walk on it?
No. It does not tolerate foot traffic, so keep it out of paths.
Why are birds pecking my ice plant?
Birds sometimes peck the succulent leaves in summer to get moisture, and the plant usually grows back.
What soil does it need?
It needs well-drained, sandy soil. Poor drainage causes dieback, so loosen heavy soil and remove caliche first.
Rocky Point ice plant for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Rocky Point Ice Plant is a trailing yellow-flowered succulent ground cover that blooms off and on nearly all year. It is fast and takes cold well for an ice plant. This page covers spacing, summer heat, water, cold and how long a bed lasts in the Valley.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Rocky Point ice plant for Phoenix yards
This trailing ice plant spreads fast into a low mat with yellow flowers nearly all year. It takes full sun with some afternoon shade in summer.
How far apart to plant Rocky Point ice plant
Space plants 4 to 6 feet apart for a bed, or about 1 foot apart for faster cover.
Yellow ice plant in winter
It blooms off and on nearly all year and was a popular winter accent in Phoenix. It is rated to about 20°F.
Watering Rocky Point ice plant
Water new plants every 2 or 3 days for a few weeks. Once rooted, water every 5 to 10 days in summer.
Summer care for ice plant
It can burn back in the summer heat and grows back when it cools. Some afternoon shade helps it through summer.
Ice plant for bees
The small yellow flowers strongly attract bees throughout the year.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.