The ice plants have started blooming, here where I live, south of San Francisco, in the San Francisco Bay area. Ice plants are succulents which form a ground cover. The most common species in my area appears to be Carpobrotus edulis. They are very hardy, hold water (good for this dry area) and they have beautiful pink and yellow flowers in the spring. They were popular as ground covers for commercial spaces, and were planted along the highways to help prevent erosion. They grow well in our climate. Here’s a description and some pictures – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpobrotus_edulis
I like them, though, yes, I know that they are an invasive species. Ice plants are not native to this area. They are native to South Africa, which has a Mediterranean climate like our climate, so of course they grow well here. I realize that we need to get them out of natural habitats such as the Point Reyes National Seashore, and the San Francisco estuary, but I do enjoy seeing them bloom in my area, in the spring.
The ice plants are pretty along Bayshore Drive. I went there on Sunday, April 5, 2009, and took pictures.
The California Poppy (our state flower!) has also started blooming. I’ll have to go take pictures.
Ice Plants in Bloom, April 2009
Amarez - feels like home 
Do you have any shots of ice plants on the beaches of San Francisco, or Pacifica, or thereabouts? I never saw their flowers despite living in SF for 4 years.
No pix right at hand, but here’s some great trivia for you: most of the iceplant that we see around the California freeways was moved from the Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939-1940, when the fair closed in 1940. Also, the Palace of Fine Arts (Exploratorium) was intended to be covered with iceplant when that world’s fair (Panama Pacific International Exposition) closed in 1915.
Apparently Bernard Maybeck, the architect, wanted it to slowly crumble and be taken over by the plants.
Call me your San Francisco World’s Fair Princess.
Thanks for the info on Ice plants and the Golden Gate Exposition, Anonymous – very interesting – and I think I know who you are!
Take care.
amarez – mszv
Hi Doug,
I’ll post a new entry, with a picture of ice plants at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Thanks for reading my blog.