Mesembryanthemum Harlequin
Dorotheanthus bellidiformis 'Harlequin' -- Mesembryanthemum; Livingstone Daisy; Ice Plant
Neon daisy flowers in shocking pinks, oranges, yellows and apricots above sparkling crystalline succulent foliage — the desert annual that thrives in baking heat.
About this variety
A low carpet of fleshy leaves covered in tiny transparent water cells that catch the light and genuinely sparkle, topped in sun by neon daisies in shocking pink, electric orange, apricot, yellow, magenta and cream, many with contrasting rings.
It is a South African coastal desert plant and it solves a specific problem: the baking gravel edge, the top of a sunny wall, the hanging basket that cooks. Nothing else flowers like this in ground that dry.
The flowers only open in sun. They track it across the sky and shut in the evening and on dull days, so a wet grey British week gives you a mat of sparkling foliage and no colour at all. If your garden is shaded or your summer is cloudy, this is not the plant. The other rule is not to water it. The leaves store their own supply and soggy roots will rot it faster than anything else. Plant it into poor, gritty, free-draining ground in full sun, water it in once, then leave it alone. It is frost-tender, so it cannot go out until late May or June.
Plant alongside
Mesembryanthemum Harlequin pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics
