Mature size & growth rate

How big does Hottentot Fig (Carpobrotus edulis) get?

Also called Hottentot Fig, Highway Ice Plant, Cape Fig, Pigface.

More about hottentot fig

About Hottentot Fig

Carpobrotus edulis · also called Hottentot Fig, Highway Ice Plant · edible

A vigorous, mat-forming South African succulent with large, three-angled leaves and showy yellow, pink, or pale magenta daisy-like flowers up to 12 cm across. The fig-shaped fruits are edible, with a salty-sweet, astringent flavour. Naturalised on Mediterranean and Californian coasts; classified invasive in many regions. Highly drought-tolerant and salt-resistant.

Mature size: 20 cm tall; stems spreading 2–3 m or more

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Hottentot Fig does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims. Indoors and in a pot, expect 20 cm tall. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — stems spreading 2–3 m or more — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Growth rate and years to mature

Hottentot Fig is a slow grower. Realistically, expect many years — it gains very little each season, so it can hold the same shelf-sized footprint for 5-10+ years. Its feeding profile backs this up: rarely needed. plants grow vigorously in poor soil with no feed. if growth is very slow, a single application of balanced liquid fertiliser in spring at quarter strength is sufficient. rich feeding encourages invasive spread and reduces flower density.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the hottentot fig repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast hottentot fig grows.

How to keep hottentot fig smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For hottentot fig specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — hottentot fig takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut.
Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser.
The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants.
A trim once or twice a season is usually enough to hold its length.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Decide the length you want. Pick the point each vine of hottentot fig should stop — you can be aggressive; it regrows readily.
Cut just above a node. Snip about 0.5 cm above a leaf node so the stem branches there instead of dying back.
Root the cuttings. Drop the trimmed pieces in water or mix — they root in 2-4 weeks and can fill the same pot for a bushier look.
Repeat as it runs. Re-trim whenever it overshoots; regular light pruning keeps it both smaller and fuller.

How to grow hottentot fig bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for hottentot fig the accelerators are:

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth.
Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing.
Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The hottentot fig light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When hottentot fig outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for hottentot fig:

Vines pooling on the floor or wrapping past where you want them — purely a trimming cue, not a repot one.
Bare, leggy stems with leaves only at the tips (usually a light problem, not a size one).
A tangled mass that has outrun its support and needs cutting back and re-training.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the hottentot fig repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the hottentot fig propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Hottentot Fig size — frequently asked questions

How big does hottentot fig get?

Hottentot Fig reaches 20 cm tall when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (stems spreading 2–3 m or more). Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Is hottentot fig slow or fast growing?

Hottentot Fig is a slow grower. Expect many years — it gains very little each season, so it can hold the same shelf-sized footprint for 5-10+ years. Hottentot Fig does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims.

How long does hottentot fig take to reach full size?

Roughly many years — it gains very little each season, so it can hold the same shelf-sized footprint for 5-10+ years. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep hottentot fig smaller?

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — hottentot fig takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut. Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser. The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants. A trim once or twice a season is usually enough to hold its length.

How can I make hottentot fig grow bigger or faster?

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth. Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing. Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.