• Ice plants come in several varieties and are used for ground cover.ice plant image by Jennifer Altman from Fotolia.com
  
  Ice plants serve as ground cover because they grow low to the ground and spread outward. Ice plant foliage is made up of thick, attractive pale green leaves. The plant blooms brightly colored flowers with a papery texture. Ice plants can withstand adverse conditions once established, even along rocky coastal cliffs. Delosperma (ice plant) varieties are ideal for sprucing up areas of poor soil or rocky conditions.
  
  

White Nugget

• The white nugget ice plant (Delosperma basuticum) gets its name from the white flower that blooms over its bright green leaves. The plant likes hot, sunny locations with well-drained soil, like rock gardens or pebbled areas. White nugget is cold tolerant.
  
  

Gold Nugget

• The gold nugget ice plant (Delosperma congestum) looks similar to the white nugget, but the daisy-like flowers bloom a golden color. This hardy plant likes rocky, well-drained soils. Grown in large numbers, the gold nugget ice plant's bright green leaves and golden flowers have a dramatic effect.
  
  

Delosperma Cooperi

• Cooperi varieties include Cooper's ice plant, hardy ice plant and trailing ice plant. These sun-loving varieties prefer rocky or poor, well-drained soil. The leaves are gray-green with a smooth texture, and the flowers show off their magenta blooms from midsummer to fall. The ice plants love heat and their flowers attract butterflies.
  
  

Delosperma Dyeri

• Also known as red mountain ice plant, the dyeri variety grows along rocky areas and well-drained soils. The sun-loving plant blooms fuchsia at any time from spring to fall. The foliage is silvery and has a rubbery texture, making it extremely hardy, especially in drought conditions.
  
  

Starburst

• The starburst ice plant (Delosperma floribunda) gets its name from the flower, which has a yellow eye, is white near the center of the petals and purple at the tips. Flowers bloom in midsummer and attract butterflies. This ice plant requires little water and thrives in rocky, well-drained areas. The foliage is a bright green that turns red in the fall. Frost kills the blooms, but it can overwinter in dry soil. When a number of starbursts are planted together, they produce an impressive, low-maintenance ground cover.
  
  

Delosperma Nubigerum

• Nubigerum varieties include the yellow-flowering Hardy Ice Plant and the Yellow Ice Plant. Both have silvery foliage that turns red in the winter. The daisy-like flowers bloom a bright yellow from spring to fall and attract butterflies. The ice plants like rocky areas, well-drained soils and heat. They propagate easily from cuttings or seeds, and once established are quite hardy and drought tolerant. The plant does not tolerate frost, but can overwinter in dry soil.