Delosperma congestum x cooperi Royal Ranger Red

The Delosperma Royal Ranger 'Red' is a new hybrid delosperma with small flowers that are well contrasted, of a beautiful pearly orange-red colour with a white halo and a yellow centre. Its flowering is early and abundant. With a well-rounded cushion habit, its flowers are slightly smaller than other varieties, but they renew themselves for months. This perennial forms beautiful mats of small succulent leaves, and blooms from May to October, even in dry and poor soil.

The Delosperma belongs to the family of aizoaceae. Cousins of Mesembryanthemum, they are perennials native to South Africa, East Africa, and Madagascar, which are perfectly suited to hot and dry climates. They settle between stones, paving stones of a driveway, or on a dry slope, as long as they find some substrate. The Royal Ranger series comes from Delosperma congestum, which is hardy to around -12°C (10.4°F) in well-drained soil. If your region is subject to tese or colder frosts, place it in a pot or planter that you will bring indoors in winter.

The Royal Ranger 'Red' Ice Plant has trailing, ramified stems that root easily, colonising the space to a width of up to 1m (3ft) under good conditions. They bear small, light green, cylindrical succulent leaves. These leaves are sessile, very fleshy, warty, and measure about 3cm (1in). It forms a small clump 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) tall that is covered in flowers grouped in cymes. Each flower has a corolla of slender ligules coloured orange that tends towards red, painted with a small white halo surrounding a yellow eye. The flowering period extends over a long period, bringing vibrant colours to neglected areas.

The Delosperma Royal Ranger 'Red' thrives in a very sunny exposure, above walls, in rockeries, or in pots, on the terrace or balcony. Its trailing growth cascades from a hanging basket that you can bring indoors in winter if necessary. It is an excellent rock plant. It thrives in the company of Sedums, Dianthus, Osteospermum, and Wall Bellflowers. Otherwise, plant it as a trailing evergreen ground cover with plants of similar needs, such as Stachys or Valerian. Containers composed of different varieties from the Royal Ranger series allow you to create a dense, highly colourful foliage carpet for long months with little maintenance needed.