IcePlant warning from TortTableUk

stevenf625

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Jun 2, 2016
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I bought some 'Succulent Iceplant' seeds from 'Baker Heirloom Seeds'.

Although the seed envelope I recieved indicated it was of the Hottentot Fig variety, after growing the seeds (and they were exceedingly easy to grow) it was obvious that the plants were actually the following:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesembryanthemum_crystallinum

I contacted the TortTableuk folks and asked them about this particular variety as it is not shown on thier website.

The response was:

the Mesembryanthem crystallinum is toxic. It contains high levels of
oxalates crystals which can cause serious irritation to the lining of the
mouth and throat and has been known to cause death in livestock (for example
see the General Biology section of this article

https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/2813https://florabase.dpaw.w
a.gov.au/browse/profile/2813 I think the oxalates are probably present in the small crystals on the plant.
 

JoesMum

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The problem with "ice plant" is that it is a familiar name used with many very different plants.

My recommendation is that people should always check out the scientific name of a plant for its safety and not the familiar one.

What I think of as ice plant is a sedum and that is safe (Joe ate all mine to the ground :( )
 

Yvonne G

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The leaves on that plant look nothing like the "ice plant" I'm familiar with.
 
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