I came across this plant while doing some garden shopping yesterday and thought it would make a great showcase for the week. Ice plant grows year round, with individual shoot segments growing more than 3 ft (1 m) per year. Ice plants can grow to at least 165 ft (50 m) in diameter. Flowering occurs almost year round, beginning in February in southern California (CA as a reference) and continuing through fall in northern California, with flowers present for at least a few months in any given population. Seed production is high, with hundreds of seeds produced in each fruit, not to mention the fruit is edible.
In South Africa the sour fig's ripe fruit are gathered and either eaten fresh or made into a very tart jam. I just planted some in my backyard self watering container - I am so excited to watch it grow and see where it takes us over here in Florida! Stay tuned for updates on the Ice Plant!
As always, Happy Gardening!
Jack