Fire Spinner ice plant
Delosperma 'Fire Spinner'
Fire Spinner ice plant (Delosperma 'Fire Spinner') is a groundcover suited to the Colorado Front Range. It matures to about 1–2 in tall and 12–18 in wide, needs low water, and prefers full sun. Tricolor blooms (orange-pink-purple), looks like a sunset. Plant Select 2012 introduction.
low water1–2 in tall and 12–18 in wideXeric / water-wisePlant Select®Deer-resistant
Online from $6.74 at 3 retailersPhotos
Plan your garden
Not sure what to plant? The finder matches Front Range trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcover to your soil, water, sun, and zone.
Ready to plant this?
At a glance
- Botanical name
- Delosperma 'Fire Spinner'
- Variety / cultivar
- FIRE SPINNER®
- Type
- Groundcover
- Mature size
- 1–2 in tall and 12–18 in wide
- Planting spacing
- ~13–18 in apart
- Growth habit
- Mat-forming
- Foot traffic
- Light foot traffic
- Winter cover
- Strong winter cover
- Lawn alternative
- No-mow lawn alternative
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5–10
- Water needs
- low water
- Sun
- Best in full sun.
- Colorado native
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Soil
- sandy, well drained only
- Soil pH
- 6.5–8.5
- Hail tolerance
- high
- Wind tolerance
- high
- Salt tolerance
- moderate
- Firewise (defensible space)
- Zones 1–3 (can be planted near the house)
- Plant Select®
- Yes, Colorado's Plant Select® program (2012)
- Bloom color
- orange, pink, purple
- Bloom time
- late spring, early summer
- Pollinator value
- moderate
- Site uses
- Hellstrips / parking strips, Hot south- or west-facing walls
Wildlife & ecology
- Pollinator value
- moderate
- Deer
- Generally deer-resistant
Using Fire Spinner ice plant as a groundcover
Fire Spinner ice plant forms a low mat. It fills in densely, crowding out most weeds. It takes light foot traffic, fine to step across occasionally, but not a play-lawn. It holds strong cover through Front Range winters, so the ground doesn't go bare.
Planting & establishment
Water deeply 1×/week first summer to establish. Minimal water after, needs sharp drainage and tolerates true xeric conditions.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fire Spinner ice plant good for the Colorado Front Range?
- Yes, Fire Spinner ice plant is a well-suited groundcover for Colorado's Front Range.
- How big does Fire Spinner ice plant get?
- It matures to about 1–2 in tall and 12–18 in wide.
- How far apart do I plant Fire Spinner ice plant?
- Space Fire Spinner ice plant about 13 in apart for a faster, fuller cover, or up to 18 in apart for a looser planting.
- Is Fire Spinner ice plant hardy on the Front Range?
- Fire Spinner ice plant is hardy in USDA 5–10. The Colorado Front Range spans roughly USDA 4b–6a, so it is at its cold edge here. Site it in a warm microclimate and protect young plants.
- How much water does Fire Spinner ice plant need?
- It needs low water once established.
- Is Fire Spinner ice plant native to Colorado?
- No. It is not a Colorado native, but it grows well on the Front Range.
- Is Fire Spinner ice plant deer-resistant?
- Fire Spinner ice plant is generally considered deer-resistant, though no plant is deer-proof when browse pressure is high.
- Is Fire Spinner ice plant a good firewise plant near the house?
- Fire Spinner ice plant is a lower-fuel choice suitable in defensible-space zones 1–3, it can be planted near the house when kept well irrigated and maintained. This is general suitability guidance based on CSU Extension firewise plant lists, not a guarantee that any plant won't burn, a well-irrigated, well-maintained plant is the goal. Follow CSU Extension defensible-space guidance and check with your local fire district before planting in the wildland-urban interface.
- Is Fire Spinner ice plant a Plant Select® winner?
- Yes (inducted 2012). Fire Spinner ice plant is in Plant Select®, the plant-recommendation program run by Colorado State University and Denver Botanic Gardens to highlight plants that thrive in the region.
- Can you walk on Fire Spinner ice plant?
- Fire Spinner ice plant takes light foot traffic. You can step across it occasionally, but it won't hold up as a play-lawn.
- Can Fire Spinner ice plant replace a lawn?
- Yes, Fire Spinner ice plant works as a no-mow lawn alternative on the Front Range. Expect a season or two of weeding and watering while it fills in before it reads as a lawn replacement.
- Will Fire Spinner ice plant spread or stay put?
- Fire Spinner ice plant is mat-forming. Give it room to fill in and edit the edges to keep it where you want it.
- Does Fire Spinner ice plant stay green in winter?
- Fire Spinner ice plant holds strong cover through Front Range winters, so the ground stays protected rather than going bare.
