Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | fuchsia |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | spreading |
| Mature height | 4 inches |
| Spread | 24 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | dry to average |
| Plant origin | import |
Heartleaf Iceplant
Botanical name: Aptenia cordifolia
This succulent groundcover plant produces bright magenta-red flowers over rich green foliage in summer; blooms only open in mid-day sun; an interesting plant to include in a rockery, or a combination planter; used for soil retention as well.
Other names: Baby Sun Rose, Heart-leaved Aptenia, Midday Flower
Ornamental Features
Heartleaf Iceplant features dainty clusters of fuchsia daisy flowers with red overtones and gold eyes held atop the stems from mid spring to late summer. Its attractive small succulent heart-shaped leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning lime green in color the rest of the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Heartleaf Iceplant is a dense spreading evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Heartleaf Iceplant is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
Heartleaf Iceplant will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.
Heartleaf Iceplant is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
