Lampranthus Aurantiacus flowers,Elche,Spain. RF GE4TTC–Unique succulent coastal plant known as
Pig Face (Carpobrotus glaucescens) also known as Ice Plant or Angular Sea Fig is a creeping flowering succulent. It is part of the Aizoaceae or stone plants family and is native to South Africa and Australia. There are about 30 species in the genus, the majority being native to South Africa.
Carpobrotus (pigface) is a world-wide genus of succulent plants, with species native to South Africa, Australia, South America and California. In South Australia there are four species of Carpobrotus and two species in a closely related genus Sarcozona.
(Carpobrotus glaucescens)
Found in NSW and Queensland, it is commonly called pigface or iceplant. It is found in eastern Australia and usually only grows very close to the sea. Its flowers range from light purple to a deep pinkish-purple colour.
Pigface produces bright purple, daisy-like flowers and reddish purple fruit that tastes like a fig. The flowers, fruit and the leaves are edible but the fruit is the most delicious part of the plant, and the part most often enjoyed by Indigenous Australians.
About Pigface
The delicious red fruits are safe to eat. The name, Carpobrotus, refers to the edible fruits – coming from the Ancient Greek karpos “fruit” and brotos “edible”. Pigface was harvested and used a lot by indigenous Australians both as food and medicine.
Its thick, fleshy leaves can also be eaten – raw or cooked (the roasted leaves may be used as a salt substitute) and the juice from the leaves can be used to soothe stings or burnt skin2. The juice from the leaves can be mixed with water and used as a gargle for sore throats and mild bacterial infections of the mouth.
Pig Face is a hardy, sun loving, creeping succulent with stems to two metres that root at the nodes along the stem. The plant has bright deep pink daisy-like flowers blooming mainly from October to January, which is the main growing period.
Choose a dry, sunny spot with good drainage, such as amongst rock. They will tolerate partial shade but you may find they produce less flowers. They have a tendency to trail slightly, so plant them at the edge of retaining walls or pots where they can artfully spill over the side.
Aboriginals traditionally ate the Karkalla's fruit fresh and dried, and paired the salty, fleshy leaves with meat. Also known as “bain” or “pigface” (in WA), this ground-covering bushfood succulent is native to coastal regions in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
He has one of the rarest plants in Australia - only one individual is known in the wild, the Ormeau Myrtle.
This species has naturalised in many parts of the world and is invasive primarily in coastal habitats. It can have strong negative effects on the germination, survival, growth, and reproduction of other species.
Pigface is generally a summer-spring growing plant. It can be grown either from seed or cuttings. Propagation is easiest by layering (rooting horizontal stem cuttings), as this is how the plant grows naturally.
This prostrate creeping succulent has long trailing stems and roots at its nodes, meaning it can grow to cover a large area. It produces large pink to purple daisy-like flowers in Spring to Summer, which attract bees and insects.
Pigface cuttings can grow roots in less than two weeks in ideal growing conditions.
Since Pigface is a ground cover, it can cover large areas with no issue. It grows well, but slowly, in pots, and makes a beautiful display plant with the brightly coloured flowers. The fruit is ripe when it becomes soft and a deep red colour. It is a terrific ground cover and can cover large areas, upto 2 metres wide.
Propagating pigface couldn't be any easier. I simply cut a piece about 10 cm long with a number of leaf nodes and stuck it in the ground. My soil is very shallow and sandy and as such doesn't hold much water so I ensured I watered it well until it was established.
Pigface will tolerate very dry soil, but needs water during summer until it becomes established.
Salty, but tasty. It flowers in spring and summer, then produces deep-red fruit that can be made into jams, chutneys and pickles. The juice from the leaves can also be used to help relieve skin burns, bites and stings, in much the same way as another succulent, aloe, does.
Native Pigface should be grouped with other waterwise, drought-hardy plants. Native Pigface don't need fertiliser because they are adapted to grow in our local soils, which are typically low in nutrients. Plants will benefit from adding some vegetable-based compost (avoid those with manure) into the soil at planting.
The Pigface is an easy to grow trailing groundcover which is ideal for sunny banks, rockeries and containers. Common Name: White Pigface Botanical Name: Mesembryanthemum White Plant size: Approx 8- 10cm Pot size: 50mm pot. Max growth: Approx high and 15 - 20cm wide.
Round baby pigface is an attractive spreading ground cover that grows 10–30cm tall and 1m wide. Its small, cylindrical and fleshy leaves appear in clusters along a creeping horizontal stem that roots easily at the nodes, allowing it to spread quickly .
Every part of this plant is edible and/or medicinal – the leaves can be used like aloe vera to lessen stings and burns of the skin, as well as eaten raw or cooked. Pigface has been eaten and used extensively by the peoples of Australia for as long as there's been people here.
Common names include ice plant and pigface, so called because the flower resembles a pig's face – an association that will require a high level of imagination! There are about 25 species within the genus, with a worldwide distribution.