Variegata Baby Sun Rose
Aptenia cordifolia variegata
Description
At the beginning of my plant collection, I bought a lot of succulents. This is a species that developed well, grew and branched spreading abundantly. I’ve seen another species, in a garden like forming a rug in the soil, and the flowers in a pink shade half purple, very beautiful.
Planting:
Aptenia cordifolia is a low-growing ground cover forming a dense mat very close to the soil surface. Individual plants grow to be no more than 6″ inches high and 1′ or 2′ feet across. The stems of the heartleaf Ice plant may be rounded or four-angled. They grow very close to the ground, making contact with the soil and setting down roots as they creep along. The green leaves may be heart shaped or oval. When well-watered, they are quite fleshy. When water is scarce, they flatten. Because the water cells are located close to the surface of sunrose plant, both the stems and the leaves have a shiny appearance.
The colorful flowers come in shades of bright pink, red, yellow, and purple and are very attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. When grown in a hanging basket, they will also attract hummingbirds. The small flowers appear individually, in clusters at the ends of stems and also in the forks of the plants’ branches. Lengthy bloom time extends from late summer through early spring. The flowers open during the sunniest part of the day and close in the evening.
Watering:
The hardy Aptenia cordifolia plant can tolerate high rainfall and extreme drought, so it can do quite well even with irregular watering. Even so, for best performance, water the plant regularly as you would any cactus or succulent. Wait until the soil is almost completely dry and then water deeply.
For the most part, Baby Sun Rose is a problem-free plant as long as you don’t overwater. If left standing in water, this succulent plant is sure to develop root rot.
Fertilizing:
Use a controlled release fertilizer to feed the plant two times annually, once in the early springtime and again late in the summertime.
Pruning
Prune or trim Aptenia cordifolia as needed to help maintain the shape you want and to prevent having Baby Sun Rose ramble over driveways, walkways, and other areas where it is unwanted. Early in the springtime, trim plants to remove any stems damaged during the winter.
| Growing Information |  |
| Mature Height: | 1 ft |
| Mature Width: | 6 ft |
| Sunlight: | Full to Partial Sun |
| Bloom Time: | xx |
| Growth Rate: | Moderate |
| Grows Well In Zones: | 5-10 |
| Your Growing Zone: | 6 |
