Ask the master gardeners
Q: What can I grow to keep weeds out?
A: Just when it seems its the worst time of year to be out working in the garden, weeds are all over the place and so difficult to deal with in the August heat. To help keep them at bay, a low-growing groundcover just might be the answer.
A good one to try is a hardy ice plant thats known botanically as Delosperma nubigenum Lesoltho. Its species name translates to of the clouds and ice plant refers to either its growth, which appears like little upside-down icicles, or the silvery dots that cover the leaves.
D. nubigenum is a succulent perennial thats like sedum. It has bright green shiny leaves that turn a deep purple/red in winter. It will bloom all summer, with iridescent yellow daisylike flowers, and then go dormant in winter.
It is a low-growing ground cover thats drought tolerant and hardy in USDA Zones 4 and 5. It likes full sun Also, because this ice plant comes from the Drakensbergs, a temperate mountain range in South Africa, it not only can tolerate but can thrive in climates with rain and humidity in the summer.
A vigorous spreader, in the wrong environment it can be invasive. However, if you want to keep out the weeds, it might be just the right plant because it generally forms a thick mat that offers weed suppression.
In nature, hardy ice plants almost always grow among rocks so they can also be a spectacular addition to any rock garden, especially with their longer bloom. They are also being used for living roofs and walls. D. nubigenum is sterile and will not produce seed.
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