Baby sunrose 'Variegated Crimson'

Aptenia cordifolia

How to grow Baby sunrose 'Variegated Crimson'

  • Full Sun

  • Low

Starts easily from cuttings. Will grow in full sun or dappled shade. Great to grow in hanging baskets. Keep the soil on the dry side. Too much moisture can cause the roots to rot.

This plant will need to be replaced every two to three years. I always renew mine by taking cuttings when trimming the ones I keep in hanging baskets.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to apply water fairly sparingly. Keep in mind when planting that Variegated Crimson is thought of as tender, so remember to ensure that temperatures are mild before moving outdoors. Planting Variegated Crimson in sandy and loamy soil with a ph of between 7.5 and 8.5 is ideal for as it does best in weakly alkaline soil.

Growing Variegated Crimson from seed

Ensure a seed sowing distance of 1.49 feet (45.72 cm).

Transplanting Variegated Crimson

Use in a rock garden or small groundcover area. It will also do beautifully grown in containers with other contrast plants. No soil amendments are needed. If hanging over a planter’s edge it can be trimmed back to remove any stringy stems.2

This plant will appreciate two to three light fertilization’s a year.

As Variegated Crimson is tender, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

Harvesting Variegated Crimson

The fruit is a capsule just over a centimeter long. This capsule encloses the seeds and when ripe it will open and scatter the seeds that make more plants where they fall.

Baby sunrose Variegated Crimson Etymology

The genus name comes from the Greek aptenos which means wingless and refers to the wingless seed capsule, while cordi, in Latin means heart and folia means leaf in regard to the cordate leaf shape.3

Other Names for Baby sunrose 'Variegated Crimson'

Heartleaf Ice Plant “Red Apple”

Footnotes

1 Steve’s leaves, Inc.

2 south-florida-plant-guide.com/baby-sun-rose.html

3 http://olabrisagardens.com/tropical-gardening-advice/planting-roots-in-mexico/ground-cover-and-other-plants-for-similar-use-2/baby-sun-rose/