Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lehmann's Iceplant bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Lehmann's Iceplant, Ice Plant, Cube-leafed Ice Plant (Delosperma lehmannii).

More about lehmann's iceplant

About Lehmann's Iceplant

Delosperma lehmannii · also called Lehmann's Iceplant, Ice Plant · flowering

Delosperma lehmannii (syn. Corpuscularia lehmannii) is a compact South African succulent with distinctive upright, grey-green leaves arranged in opposing pairs. Bright yellow to orange daisy-like flowers appear in spring and summer. Tender in cold climates, it excels as a container plant or indoor succulent. It is highly drought-tolerant and needs minimal care once established in well-draining soil.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Most often caused by insufficient direct sunlight. Ensure the plant receives at least 4–6 hours of direct sun. Plants that have not been given a cool winter rest period may also bloom less freely.

The reasons lehmann's iceplant isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lehmann's iceplant traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding lehmann's iceplant a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get lehmann's iceplant to flower

Maximise sun. Give lehmann's iceplant the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for lehmann's iceplant and get the feeding right with the lehmann's iceplant fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Lehmann's Iceplant flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full lehmann's iceplant care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lehmann's Iceplant blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lehmann's iceplant flower?

Lehmann's Iceplant blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make lehmann's iceplant bloom?

Give lehmann's iceplant the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does lehmann's iceplant normally bloom?