Ruschia indurata

This amazing succulent from the South African Karoo (Great Desert) is another surprisingly hardy rock garden plant, having survived years at the Denver Botanic Garden as well as here in our Southeast US rock garden. The fleshy green stems are adorned with tightly clasping leaves that resemble freshly grated green thumbs. In late April and May, the 6" tall x 2' wide (in 5 years) clumps are topped by fluorescent bright purple daisies held just above the foliage. For inquiring minds, the specific epithet "indurata" means "to make hard"...no, not that kind of hard.