Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

Aptenia cordifolia is a perennial evergreen herb with small, simple, heart-shaped, dark green succulent leaves. The moderately thick, succulent stems are flexible and easily snapped. They appear to crawl along the soil and hug the ground forming a tight, almost clipped appearance. Plants grow no taller than about 3 to 4 inches. The glossy foliage sparkling in the sun makes a superb backdrop for the purplish red daisies like flowers that blossom nearly year-round. The flowers are small with numerous petals bright pink to purple and they open only in sun. The fruits are minuscule capsules.
(Hickman, James C. 1993. The Jepson Manual.)
(Gilman, Edward F. 1999. Aptenia Cordifolia Fact Sheets.)
(Herre, H. 1971. The Genera of the Mesembryanthemaceae.)

This charming dwarf succulent makes an excellent annual ground cover in a small landscape or rock garden. It is also grown in a hanging baskets.
(Gilman, Edward F. 1999. Aptenia Cordifolia Fact Sheets.)

(Information for this species compiled and recorded by Camelia Cirnaru, NTBG Consultant.)

Aptenia cordifolia is native to the Eastern Coastal Plains of South Africa. It has been introduced to California as a horticultural plant.
(Herre, H. 1971. The Genera of the Mesembryanthemaceae.)

California Invasive Plant Council reports this species as invasive. It is listed as a wildland weed red alert as it has only recently become a problem. When watered, Red Apple overwhelms all neighboring vegetation, climbing over anything in its path. It has been used in landscaping adjacent to riparian areas within the urban interface, so it can easily spread into and dominate more natural riparian and wetland areas.

We currently have 3 herbarium specimens for Aptenia cordifolia in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 002222 - collected by Lynwood Hume in 1989
• 042864 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2002
• 077774 - collected by Kelsey Brock in 2017