Delosperma Wheels of Wonder Limoncello - Ice Plant

The perennial purslane or Delosperma Wheels of Wonder Limoncello is the latest addition to the excellent 'Wheels of Wonder' series, which brings together varieties notable for the size and colour of their flowers, as well as their vigour. 'Limoncello' radiates throughout the summer, covering its carpet of small succulent leaves with sparkling lemon yellow and white flowers. This ground cover perennial works wonders in rock gardens, above walls, in flower pots or even in hanging baskets where it cascades in fairy-like garlands. It loves the sun and tolerates drought well, while being hardy down to  - 8 °C

This perennial purslane Limoncello is a variety that recently came from Japan. Delosperma, belonging to the family Aizoaceae, and cousins of Mesembryanthemum, are succulent perennial plants native to South Africa, East Africa, and Madagascar, which are perfectly suited to hot and dry climates. They settle between stones, paving slabs or on a dry slope, provided they find a bit of substrate. However, if your region experiences freezing temperatures close to - 10 °C, place them in a pot or container that you bring indoors in winter.

'Wheels of Wonder Limoncello' is part of a recent series of plants offering flowers twice as large as the typical variety, in a range of 7 vibrant and radiant colours. It has creeping, ramified stems that easily root upon contact with the ground, thus colonising the space to a width that can reach 1m (3ft) under good conditions. They bear very small fleshy light green leaves, cylindrical in shape. These leaves are sessile, meaning they are without petioles and directly attached to the stems, warty and measure about 3cm (1in). The plant forms a tussock 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) tall which is covered in beautiful white flowers striped with yellow, arranged in cymes. Each flower has a corolla of fine bicoloured ligules surrounding a yellow heart. The flowering period extends over a long period, bringing vibrant colours to neglected areas.

If you like ice plants, you will succumb to the charm of Delosperma Wheels of Wonder. The 'Limoncello' cultivar is an ideal rock garden plant. It therefore thrives alongside Sedums, Dianthus, golden baskets, and wall bellflowers. However, it will be perfect in dry gardens or in gravel beds, at the feet of Stachys and Valerian, for example, with which it shares the same needs: sun and dry soil. Containers composed of different varieties from the 'Wheels of Wonder' series will create a very colourful carpet, easy to maintain, for a very long period.