California Invasive Plant Council

Carpobrotus edulis

Common names: highway iceplant

Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot-fig or iceplant) is a succulent shrub (family Aizoaceae) found throughout coastal California and the Channel Islands, especially in areas with a warm winter climate. Introduced as an ornamental plant, Carpobrotus edulis now inhabits coastal scrub, grasslands, chaparral, bluffs, dunes and beaches where it creates dense mats that increase soil organic matter over time, allowing new non-native species to invade. Carpobrotus edulis propagates by seed and vegetatively. Even small stem fragments can regenerate into a new plant, making control difficult.

Cal-IPC Rating: High

Cal-IPC Assessment

Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Weed Management Notes

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Removing European beachgrass at Point Reyes. Parsons, Lorraine. Vol 23, Issue 1
• “Conservation Across Borders” in San Jose. Cal-IPC. Vol 14, Issue 2
• BLM uses heavy equipment to give weeds the heave-ho!. Wheeler, Jennifer. Vol 08, Issue 2
• Roundup of Arundo projects reveals commitment, strategic weakness. Kelly, Mike. Vol 07, Issue 2
• Richmond weed abatement ordinance. . Vol 07, Issue 1
• Fort Ord readies the troops for war – on weeds!. Fry, Virginia. Vol 06, Issue 1
• Portrait of an invader II: The ecology and management of Carpobrotus edulis. Albert, Marc E.. Vol 03, Issue 2
• Lupine removal by heavy equipment. Theiss, Karen. Vol 03, Issue 1
• Exotic pest plants of greatest ecological concern in California September 1994. Cal-IPC. Vol 02, Issue 4
• California Exotic Pest Plant Council draft list exotic plants of greatest concern October 1993. CalEPPC. Vol 01, Issue 4

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• The effect of soil salinity and flooding on the growth Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.B. Br.: Implications for its spread into the Ballona Wetlands. Drennan, Philippa M.; Zakrzewski, Leanne (2004)
• A decade of dune restoration at the Lanphere Dunes. Pickart, Andrea (2003)
• Eucalyptus removal on Angel Island. Boyd, David (1997)

Other Carpobrotus edulis Information

• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - See the distribution of this species on Calflora's map of California.
• CalWeedMapper - Distribution information with ability to determine regional priorities.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• EDDMapS - North American distribution based on Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System.