Aptenia Cordifolia Care: How to Grow Baby Sun Rose

Written by Iris
Hardy Aptenia Cordifolia (Baby Sun Rose) can tolerate high rainfall and extreme drought, so they can perform well even with irregular watering. Even so, for best performance, water your Aptenia Cordifolia as regularly as you would cacti or succulents. Here are the tips about how to grow and care for Aptenia Cordifolia succulent.

Where to Grow Aptenia Cordifolia

Aptenia Cordifolia succulents need strong light. When planting this succulent type in a garden, make sure it gets sunlight. Full to partial sun is the best for its growth. It is better to grow outdoor rather than indoor.
This type of succulent prefers a warm climate. aptenia Cordifolia can survive at zone 8a-10b which is around -12.2°C (10°F). If you live in a cold area, it is better to plant aptenia cordifolia in an indoor environment. As long as it gets enough sunlight, the Aptenia Cordifolia plant will grow happily.
When selecting what pot to use be sure that you understand the difference between the material used.

How to Grow Aptenia Cordifolia

Aptenia Cordifolia Propagation with Seeds

Aptenia Cordifolia is a slow grower so even if it can be propagated by its seeds, this method is not recommended. To propagate from the seeds, plant the seeds in a well-draining soil mixture. This method can be used outdoors. In cooler areas, indoor propagating is recommended.

Aptenia Cordifolia Propagation with Cuttings

When propagating Aptenia Cordifolia (Baby Sun Rose) from cuttings, cut a leaf from the mother plant carefully with a clean knife or scissors. Before replanting, wait for a few days to allow it to callous. Use well-draining soil for your new Aptenia Cordifolia succulent plant. Don’t forget to water when the soil dries out.

Aptenia Cordifolia Propagation with Leaves

When propagating Aptenia Cordifolia with leaves. You should get a leave carefully from the mother plant. It should be a healthy leave that has no part left on the stem. In this way, the propagation will work. Before replanting, wait for a few days to allow it to callous. Use well-draining soil for your new Aptenia Cordifolia plant. Don’t forget to water when the soil dries out.

Aptenia Cordifolia Propagation with Offsets

Aptenia Cordifolia propagates from offsets. To be able to propagate from the mother plant, you might wait several years for the main plant to produce an offset. To start this process, use a sharp knife and remove an offset from the main plant. When you remove the offset, clean the extra soil from it. Before replanting, wait for a few days to allow it to callous. Use well-draining soil for your new succulent plant. Don't forget to water when the soil dries out.

How to Care for Aptenia Cordifolia

 Aptenia Cordifolia Light Requirements

Aptenia Cordifolia can grow in partial shade in warmer regions, but avoid full shade because flowers need full sun to flourish. Nevertheless, the Aptenia Cordifolia plant and the flowers must be protected from direct sunlight.

 Aptenia Cordifolia Soil Care

Aptenia Cordifolia does not need a specific soil, as it supports a wide pH range and supports salinity. Like all succulents, Aptenia Cordifolia prefers them to drain well, but it is not even necessary, since Aptenia Cordifolia tolerates somewhat flooded soils as long as they do not continue to be so in the dormant season. For rapid growth and not to depend too much on compost, a high percentage of organic matter is recommended.

 Aptenia Cordifolia Watering

Although it is a succulent, this kind of Daisy-Like Flower needs much more water than most. In this aspect, Aptenia Cordifolia must be treated as a normal plant, not allowing the substrate to dry out completely between waterings. That is not to say that Aptenia Cordifoliat will not tolerate drought, but it will have smaller, yellowish leaves and will grow much less. You just have to control the watering a little more in winter, when it goes into dormancy.

 Aptenia Cordifolia Temperature Care

Generally, Aptenias resist well to periods of drought. On the other hand, they are not hardy and hardly support negative temperatures. In short, the constant temperature should not drop below 20 ° C.

 Aptenia Cordifolia Fertilizer Care

Aptenia Cordifolia doesn't require fertilizer, but if you think your Aptenia Cordifolia plant would benefit from occasional feeding, use a regular liquid or granular fertilizer two to three times during the growing season. Apply the fertilizer according to the rate specifications on the container label.

 Aptenia Cordifolia Pruning Care

It depends entirely on what you are looking for with the Aptenia Cordifolia plant, you can prune it to shape it, to prevent it from escaping from the area where you want it, to prevent it from climbing other plants. If you live in a climate with frost, it is also advisable to remove the branches that they will dry up in winter and have not regrown in spring. ThisAptenia cordifolia plant also produces many branches that grow above others and make it ugly, so it is also convenient to remove them.

 Aptenia Cordifolia Pests & Diseases Care

In general a Aptenia healthy will not have pests or if it does, the attack will not be important, but if it does attack something it will be the following:
Cochineal: Like almost all succulents, Aptenia Cordifolia is susceptible to mealybug attack, but generally it will only attack diseased Aptenia Cordifolia plants or plants that are severely lacking in nutrients or water. It is very rare to find it in healthy Aptenia Cordifolia. To eliminate them, you can use potassium soap or a specific insecticide.
Snails and slugs: Due to the creeping growth and the water that accumulates on the leaves, it is a perfect hiding place for these animals. They like to eat their leaves, which also helps them to hydrate, but they do not cause notable damage, mainly because of their growth speed. They will only give problems to plants that are too shaded and perhaps those that are in pots. To eliminate them there are poisoned baits, although you can also put a glass of beer in which they will fall and drown.
Aptenia Cordifolia does not have diseases as such, but it does have deficiencies due to poor cultivation.
Chlorosis: Chlorosis is called the lack of chlorophyll, which can be caused by different crop failures: lack of some nutrient, generally nitrogen (they are solved by fertilizing or transplanting); lack of water being in the sun (can be solved by watering more); Substrate pH too high or low (solved by fertilizing or changing the pH) . It is usually accompanied by a reduction in growth. Normally the chlorosis of this potted plant indicates a lack of water or the need to change the substrate or transplant, but by paying we can postpone that change a bit.
Decay: Caused by various fungi, it is generally due to excess water or lack of aeration, so it is not necessary to use fungicide but to change the growing conditions. If the entire base has rotted, the branches will have to be cut, removed the rottenness and replanted. Normally in Aptenia Cordifolia this will only happen in winter, but if we have it flooded it can happen at any time of the year.

Varieties of Aptenia

Aptenia Cordifolia- is a perennial succulent having as common names: Baby Sun Rose, Heart-leaf ice plant or Dew plant.
Aptenia geniculiflora-Aptenia geniculiflora or White-flowered Aptenia is a flowering succulent plant belonging to the Aizoaceae family. This persistent sub-shrub has tetragonal branches with subcylindrical, pale-green leaves.
Aptenia lancifolia- named also Lance-leaved Ice Plant or Purple Aptenia, is a perennial succulent sub-shrub that occurs in the Northern Cape.
Aptenia haeckeliana- called commonly Yellow Sun rose, is a succulent flowering plant native to South AfricAptenia This Aptenia species has 4-angled stems and flat, lanceolate, olive-green to yellowish leaves.

Aptenia Cordifolia Care FAQ

Can Aptenia Cordifolia Grow in water?

Cut a 2-3" long stem from the tip of each of the growing stems. Set the cut end into the pot and set Aptenia Cordifolia in a sunny place. As long as you water the potting soil every few days the cuttings should root. Some Aptenia Cordifolia are quite cold hardy and others are not.

Is Aptenia Cordifolia Considered Toxic Or Poisonous?

Heartleaf Aptenia Cordifolia is not toxic, but the sap is mildly irritating. It's best to keep kids and pets away.

Is Aptenia Cordifolia Plant Considered Invasive?

Red Aptenia does have quite a bit of weed potential because it spreads easily.  Aptenia Cordifolia has been naturalized in Oregon, California, and Florida. In Florida, it is not currently considered a problem species, but it does bear watching. It’s a popular groundcover in southern Florida and could easily escape the garden setting and become a problem. In California, Heartleaf  Aptenia Cordifolia grows very vigorously in moist areas and near wetlands. Aptenia Cordifolia is considered invasive. Aptenia Cordifolia is also considered invasive in Australia, where it has escaped from garden settings and poses threats to the coastal dune areas and native groundcovers.