Iceplant-Graveyard

The Spiritual Work of Habitat Restoration

Since moving to a new home, with my new husband, I’ve declared war on the invasive iceplant covering a hillside all along the property. This mounding succulent (Carpobrotus edulis) has spread aggressively across the Californian coast, choking out native vegetation and disrupting the composition of the soil. Native to South Africa, it was brought to the Golden State in the early 1900s to stabilize soil alongside railroad tracks and later highways.