Ice Plant (Hottentot Fig)

How To ID Me And What I’m Good For?

My ID Features:

Leaves

Flowers

Leaves

Fruit

Ice plant (Hottentot Fig)

Latin Name - Carpobrotus edulis (and subspecies).

Common Names - Hottentot Fig, Sour Fig, Ice Plant or Highway Ice Plant.

Family - Aizoaceae.

Season - All year (summer for fruits).

Edible bits - Leaves, flowers & fruits.

Habitat - An invasive alien in the UK, hugging the coastline on cliffs and banks.

Possible Confusion - There are 4 varitiations of ice plant.

Carpobrutus edulis var. edulis has yellow petals often fading to pink.

Carpobrutus edulis var. rubescens has pink to purple petals.

Carpobrutus edulis var. chrysopthalmus has pink petals with a yellow base.

Carpobrotus Chilensis.

Also, it can sometimes be misidentified for sally-my-handsome (carpobrutus acinaciformis). Though from all evidence we can find, this also has edible leaves and fruits.

Description - The leaves make a great pickle and the fruits are very tasty. The fruits are somewhere between sweet & sour. It should be noted that this has no relation to what we commonly know as figs (ficus carica). An individual plant can span 50m across! I’ve read conflicting reports on whether this plant aids or inhibits the structural integrity of our cliff faces.

The best use we’ve found for the leaves is to make pickles! They’re closest thing we’ve made to wild gherkins.

In South Africa the plant is cultivated for its fruits. They are either eaten raw or cooked in to a sour jam.

The flowers are also perfectly edible.

It is worth noting that ‘Hottentot’ is considered a racist term. Therefore Ice Plant seems a much more apt name in current times!

Physical Characteristics - Ice Plant is a matt forming succulent that grows year round.

The thick leaves are triangular upon cross section. They are either green or a yellow/green colour depending on the time of year. And, can also be tinged with red later in the season. The usually grow vertically and to a pointed (but not sharp tip).

The flowers differ in colour depending on which species you are observing. The appear almost like large daisies.

The fruit is fleshy, indehiscent (remaining closed at maturity) and edible, around 35 mm in diameter, shaped like a spinning top, on a winged stalk, becoming yellow and fragrant when ripe. The outer wall of the fruit becomes yellowish, wrinkled and leathery with age.

The seeds are embedded in the sticky, sweet, jelly-like mucilage. The fruits can be eaten fresh and they have a strong, astringent, salty, sour taste.

Medicinal Qualities - The leaves a a strong antioxidant with antiseptic juices. A small nibble on a leaf is said to aid in throat and mouth infections. The juice from the leaves can also be mixed into a lotion and used for external issues such as ringworm, bruises, sunburns, and cracked lips.

The flowers are anti-neuroinflammatory.

Harvesting Sustainability - In terms of sustainably, you would actually be doing your environment a favour by eating it.

Important note - It is worth noting that ice plant is growing close to the ground. So make sure you pick away from dog walkers or other contaminants!

Never munch on a hunch! Volf takes no responsibility for anything consumed.

Now For The Tasty Bit!

Here Are Our Delicious Recipes Using Ice Plant…