Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Crystalline iceplant, Crystalline Iceplant

Family: Aizoaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Crystalline iceplant is a naturalized annual found in coastal California regions including North Coast, Central Coast, Southern Coast, and Channel Islands on coastal bluffs, cliffs, and disturbed ground at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from March to October, this plant produces white to pink flowers that age to a soft pink color. Growing with trailing, forked stems less than one meter long, it spreads across the ground in distinctive sprawling patterns. Its fleshy leaves range from 2 to 20 centimeters long, with lower leaves shaped like a heart and upper leaves varying from ovate to spoon-shaped. The fruit is covered in coarse, raised papillae, giving the plant a distinctive crystalline texture.

Habitat: Common, coastal bluffs, cliffs, disturbed ground

Bloom period: Mar-Oct

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, SCo, ChI

California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Monterey, Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Imperial, San Benito, Yolo, Santa Clara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.