Pigface, also known as Carpobrotus (which means edible fruits, in fact, its fruit, leaves and flowers are all edible), ice plant, sour fig,?is a genus of ground-creeping plants native to the coast of South Australia as well as South Africa and Chile.?There are about 30 species in the genus, among which 6 are native to Australia. Its succulent, triangular-shape leaves?help them thrive in salty, windy and dry conditions.? Its?large daisy-like flowers?typically open in the sun and close at night or during cloudy days.
Pigface produces reddish or?pinkish or purple fruit that tastes like a sour and salty fig.The fruit of pigface, when ripe, somewhat resembles a pig's snout or face.
Pigface leaf juice can be used as a mild astringent. Applied to the skin, it is a popular emergency treatment for jellyfish and similar stings. When mixed with water it can be used to treat diarrhea and stomach cramps. It can also be used as a gargle for sore throat, laryngitis, and mild bacterial infections of the mouth, and can be used externally, much like aloe vera, to treat wounds, mosquito bites, sunburn, and skin conditions. It was a remedy for tuberculosis mixed with honey and olive oil.The fruit has been used as a laxative.
Due to its fast-growing and spreading nature, Pigface is often used as ground cover in gardens, particularly in coastal areas where it helps stabilize sand dunes and prevent soil erosion.
