Delosperma echinatum, also known as the Pickle plant, is a type of ice plant, native to South Africa. It has odd looking succulent leaves with bristly hairs on small, thin wiry spiny stalks. Leaves themselves are also spiny (but not dangerously so).
Delosperma echinatum is a small perennial succulent shrub which has a more upright habit than most Delospermas, often reaching 45 cm in height when grown outdoors (usually less than 30 cm tall when grown in containers or baskets). The plant has deep succulent roots. The most notable features of Delosperma echinatums are the water vesicles that cover the leaves. The leaves themselves are up to 2,5 cm long, light green covered by water vesicles.
Water moderately from early spring to the end of autumn, and keep the compost quite dry when the plants are dormant watering, only if the plant starts shrivelling (but they will generally grow even in winter if given water). Disliking overly wet conditions, it is best to also cover it with an anchored sheet of plastic during the winter if climate is particularly wet and cold. During wet seasons allow air circulation.
The soil prefers deep, well-drained, lean, sandy, or rocky soils. The soil mixture should be slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.5 to 6.0.
They should be fertilized only once during the growing period with a very dilute fertilizer. Dilute the fertilizer to ¼ the recommended rate.
The plant is tolerant of both heat and cold. In areas prone to very intense frosts, grow in an intermediate greenhouse or conservatory, in pots of cactus compost, obtainable from good garden centres.
