Common name(s): Baby Sun Rose, Ice Plant, heartleaf ice plant, dew plant
Scientific name: Mesembryanthemum cordifolium
Description
Baby sun rose is a perennial herb, spreading over ground and neighboring vegetation, with small, heart-shaped, dark green succulent leaves interspersed with small, axillary, many-petaled, bright pink to purple flowers that open only in sun. Baby sun rose is native to the Eastern Coastal Plains of South Africa. This charming plant makes an excellent annual ground cover, often reaching a spread of 2 feet or more in the growing season. Baby sun rose needs full sun to light shade. When grown in pots, the pots should be at least 8 inches deep. It also makes a great hanging basket plant for full sun. Aptenia cordifolia is propagated by cuttings or seeds. Cuttings will root in about 3 weeks. Has excellent heat tolerance.
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Plant care and instructions
Water Aptenia only when the soil is completely dry and then provides enough to drench the soil to a depth of about 6 inches (15 cm). To check for dryness, poke your finger into the soil. Never water if the soil feels damp or cool, as aptenia, like all succulents, is prone to rot in soggy, waterlogged soil. Water aptenia lightly during the winter if the leaves begin to look shriveled. Provide only enough water to moisten the soil as the plant deteriorates quickly in cool, damp soil. Withhold fertilizer, which isn't needed and often results in a weak, floppy plant. Trim the plant as needed throughout the growing season, using pruners or garden shears to keep the plant tidy. Pot the plant indoors for the winter when nighttime temperatures drop below 50F.
Light - Full Sunlight.
Place - Near windows or outdoors for direct bright sunlight.
Water - Water thoroughly in the summer and reduce watering in the winter and rainy seasons. Water the plant when the topsoil (1-2 inches) in the pot feels dry to touch. Do not overwater.
Fertilizer - Use a regular liquid or granular fertilizer two to three times during the growing season.
Temperature - 22 to 35 degrees Celcius.
Special Features
Aptenia flowers are solitary or grow in small, whorled clusters, usually in the leaf axils along the stem. As an added benefit, it provides very good erosion control.
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