PlantFiles: Baby Sunrose, Heartleaf Ice Plant
Aptenia cordifolia 'Red Apple'

I have been growing this for 3 years now and it is not growing anywhere I don't want it to. It does grow vigorously, but it doesn't take root easily, so all you have to do is cut it back. It is not invasive, just vigorous.

IMO it's the best ground cover there is, for warmer climates. It needs my attention once a year to cut it back. The rest of the year, I just enjoy it. It attracts tons of bees, stays green, and flowers all year.

About the only negative I can think of is that you can not walk on it, at all. It crushes very easy.

I have been searching for a drought tolerant ground cover for a large area of poor soil and I think i finally found it! I am so excited about baby sunrose. my neighbore gave me a bunch of clippings from her garden and i started them in the dirt yesterday - i really hope they grow, they are in shade. thanks everyone for the info.

I'm in Los Angeles area, and have only had Aptenia since ca. january. by accident, recently found a great use for those yanked-out overgrowths.

pulled out a bunch of it, and stuck it in a pail of water in the sun, planning to plant the cuttings around the garden. after about a week, or maybe 2, with some heat, the pail started smelling unbelievably rotten. so disgusting, i couldn't get the smell off my fingers.

which gave me an idea: like stinky fish emulsion, it must be full of fantastic decomposing bacteria and nutrients for plants. used the rotten green fluid to fertilize a passion flower vine, snake plant, bougainvillea, philadendron, tomatoes, honeydew melons--everything LOVES the stuff. a truly satisfying way of creating one's own organic fertilizer.

and in S. Africa, Aptenia has medicinal use as an anti-inflammatory. just a great plant!

When I bought my house 12 years ago I planted this along my front fence near an arborvitae hedge. Since then it has gradually climbed the chain-link fence and covered the ground between the curb and fence. (I have no sidewalk). It has made the front of my property look very neat and keeps the weeds down. How I wish I had planted it along the north side of my corner lot. I battle weeds constantly over there.

I have this growing in a flower garden that is 100' long. I love it!! It is a fast grower, frost hardy, drought tolerant and looks beautiful all year round. Easy to take care, just cut it back. IT IS NOT INVASIVE------IF YOU DON'T WANT IT PULL IT UP AND THROW IT OUT!!!

This is not the same plant that grows along California coast and it is NOT INVASIVE at all. It does well on the trellis or as a ground cover, grows fast, looks good and does not require much attention.

I have never ad a problem removing it from where I don't want it however, maybe its just because of the climate here. It does grow profusely, but that's what I want where I have it planted. I have found that comes up easily when pulled. I lop it off when it is spreading too far and have it growing over the top of mulch in some areas. It loves the heat and blooms continuously. It does not freeze unless it is a really hard freeze for sustained hours. Maybe I ahve a different plant than the ones that other people have.

If this plant acts the same as the ice plant that grows all along California's coast, you should know that not only is it invasive (crowds out native dune plants) but it also puts a lot of salt into the soil. I'd think very carefully before putting this plant anywhere.

We found this delightful little plant thriving in many corners of Egypt this summer: from the mountains of Sinai to the delta gardens of Alexandria and everywhere in between. I am planning to try some in my garden in Jax - can't be any more invasive than a whole lot of other plants that we have to pull and pull after such a summer of heat and rain!

Am still trying to figure out where it grows best, and what it's water needs are. I have it in full sun now, and some is growing better than others. I have one patch on drip, and one I hand water. Both are doing about the same. Not as prolific yet as people have said; just trying to keep it alive. Hopefully it will do better once the heat of the summer has passed. I have one in a half gallon plastic container that I have yet to transplant. It has been sitting there for 2-3 weeks, and looks better than the ones I have put in the ground.

this plant grows on a hill on my aunts property. for years she has been trying to get rid of it, but with no success. this plant is a pain to get rid of!!!

if any one knows how to get rid of it, please e-mail me at:
future-rock-star@hotmail.com

We love this plant! It grows like crazy, so it might be called invasive, but it's easy to clip away and isn't hard to pull out. It propogates very easily from clippings, and once established hardly needs any water. It's a great plant for filling in a large area and I've been able to fill in several bedsfrom one 4-inch pot . It's done well in both shade and sun, and easily recovered from being frozen.

I find it kind of blah, but "familiarity breeds contempt", they say.

Having been warned it could be invasive, I grew this in a pot and it did wonderfully. It looked great trailing from a hanging basket and stayed looking full when pinched back to incourage branching out.

This iceplant relative is a terrific groundcover IF you are able to keep it confined; e.g., urban areas. It is an extremely aggressive grower and will overrun native species so do NOT plant this if you are near a park, wildland area, etc. 6-8" H, length infinite if you water it. Color is very bright clear green, unusual in a succulent-type plant. Without water it gets an amber or reddish tone. Flowers are bright red, like little ox-eye daisies that form at the base of each pair of leaves. Bees absolutely love it. Also excellent as a trailing plant over walls, or in planters. I keep it in-bounds by occasionally ripping off runners or even yanking out entire plants. Tough plant; even a single leaf left will resprout. It loves No. Cal. weather and a single flat will cover an entire city lot in one year with a weekly watering.