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| Category: Groundcover |
| Family: Aizoaceae (Ice Plants) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Pink |
| Bloomtime: Year-round |
| Parentage: (Aptenia cordifolia x Platythyra haeckeliana) |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Aptenia 'Red Apple' (Baby Sun Rose) - A mat-forming evergreen perennial groundcover that forms solid flat mats with stems reaching up to 2 feet long bearing bright green nearly heart-shaped leaves that are 3/4 to 1 inch long and covered in very fine bumps. Much of the year appear the bright pink flowers that are open only during daytime. Plant in full coastal sun to light shade and irrigate occasionally. Hardy to around 20° F without damage and reportedly can survive to 10°F. Has proven a very reliable groundcover for sunny areas with limited irrigation, even in poor soils. Will smother weeds with a dense carpet, climb up chain link and drape over retaining walls - can easily be cut back from areas not wanted. One drawback is the bright green color of the foliage which can be a bit much in full sun. The name Aptenia 'Red Apple' might be considered a misnomer, depending on whose classification one uses, as some consider this plant an intergeneric hybrid between Aptenia cordifolia and Platythyra haeckeliana, while others consider it an Aptenia hybrid, since some botanists have combined Platythyra haeckeliana into Aptenia as Aptenia haeckeliana while other have combined both genera into Mesembryanthemum such as the treatment listed in The Plant List, the collaboration between Missouri Botanic Garden and The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew with the names Mesembryanthemum haeckelianum and M. cordifolium. Maike Gerbaulet in The Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Aizoaceae includes Platythyra with Aptenia. In comparing the two, Aptenia cordifolia is a more dainty plant with ½ inch long heart-shaped leaves that are mid-green colored and only slightly textured and have smaller magenta purple or white flowers and Platythyra haeckeliana has longer leaves with light yellow flowers. Both of these plants are South African in origin and are known to freely hybridize.
This information about Aptenia 'Red Apple', Hort. displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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