Baby sun rose is an evergreen ground cover with an abundance of cheerful red flowers. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this delightful perennial.
Baby sun rose (Aptenia cordifolia) is as charming a ground cover as its name implies. The fleshy, bright green heart-shaped leaves sparkle in the sun. Cheerful bright pink or red aster-like flowers bloom almost all year long.
It also goes by the apt name “hearts and flowers.”
While not ideal for every spot in the desert garden, it definitely has its niche. Unlike most plants that grow in the desert, baby sun rose prefers part shade or dappled sunlight and a moderate amount of water, especially during summer months.
This makes it a great ground cover to plant under trees or on the north side of a building. It forms a dense mat that suppresses weed growth.
Their flowers attract bees, butterflies, and occasionally hummingbirds when planted in containers or hanging baskets
Despite its soft, fleshy leaves, it’s not a favorite of deer or rabbits, and is considered a javelina resistant plant.
Why I Like This Plant
- Cheerful pink or red flowers spring through fall
- Grows fast
- Forms a weed-smothering mat
- Low water use, low maintenance
- One of the few ground covers that thrives in desert shade
Things to Watch Out For
The average lifespan of baby sun rose is only 2-3 years, however, it’s easy to propagate new plants from cuttings.
It’s not suitable for areas that gets foot traffic. These plants are tender and easily crushed or broken.
For a plant that looks delicate, it’s shocking to learn that in some conditions they can be invasive. I’ll discuss that further!
Be sure to read the nursery label before buying this plant, since some cultivars are hardier than others.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a sun rose to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Baby sun rose should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. Plants tolerate desert heat and are cold-hardy down to around 25℉. The “red apple’ variety can survive temperatures up to 115°F but is not frost-hardy, but you can grow it as an annual.
Sun Exposure
Baby sun rose performs best in partial shade. Consider planting under a tree where it gets dappled shade or on the north sides of buildings. It does well when grown in a north-facing planter.
Size and Growth Rate
Baby sun rose is a fast-growing, but small ground cover. It only reaches 6 inches tall and spreads to 2 to 3 feet across. However, it easily roots when its stems come in contact with moist soil, creating large mats.
When it’s happy in a container, it will cascade several feet.
If you’re looking to fill in a spot or planter fast, consider growing the ‘Red Apple’ variety, which grows vigorously. It won’t be hard to find since this is the most commonly sold variety.
Soil
Baby sun rose prefers well-draining sandy or loamy soils of neutral pH. This means our rocky, alkaline desert soil is not ideal.
So if you are going to put this in the ground, you’ll get best results if you amend your soil. If that’s not doable, put it in a container.
Baby Sun Rose:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Baby sun rose, heart and flowers |
| Scientific Name | Aptenia cordifolia |
| Origin | South Africa |
| Plant Type | Semi-evergreen ground cover |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 25℉ |
| Flower Color | Red, pink |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 6″ high x 3’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Part shade |
| Water Needs | Low to moderate |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | Non-toxic, no thorns |
| Invasive | Can be invasive |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, bees Deer, rabbit, javelina resistant |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any ground cover in the desert is to dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. For best results, amend the soil when planting since they prefer moist, neutral soil.
When to Plant
The best time to plant baby sun rose is in the fall. This gives it three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Baby Sun Rose
Whether you’ve recently planted baby sun rose or have existing plants in your yard, here’s how to take care of them to keep them healthy and looking their best.
How to Water
Once you’ve got your baby rose in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern.
The University of Arizona recommends watering newly planted ground covers every 2 to 3 days for the first 2 to 4 weeks.
Since it’s not truly a desert plant, it might need more water than other plants in your yard.
Water every 10 – 14 days in the spring, fall, and winter and every 2 – 5 days in the summer.
How much water you should give your plant with each watering depends on the diameter of your plant and will change as it grows. You can use this chart as a guide.
| 1 foot diameter | .5 gallons |
| 2 feet diameter | 2 gallons |
| 3 feet diameter | 3.5 gallons |
If you are growing baby sun rose in a pot, be sure to let the plant dry out completely between waterings to avoid root rot.
Should You Fertilize?
Most desert plants don’t need fertilizing, but since ground covers are often planted near other plants, they have to compete for nutrients.
To ensure maximum growth and blooms, lightly fertilize it two to three times between spring and fall.
Pruning & Propagation
Baby sun rose is a soft, easily managed ground cover. If it needs a trim to maintain its shape, you can easily trim with small snippers.
You can take those pieces and stick them in soil — they’ll easily root for free new plants.
Is Baby Sun Rose Invasive?
I was pretty surprised to learn that such a delicate-looking plant that is so well-behaved in my garden could be invasive, but it can be, especially the ‘Red Apple’ variety.
It has escaped cultivation and naturalized in coastal southern California and the Mediterranean.
While it’s not going to escape into the desert, please be mindful if you grow it near water.
According to the California Invasive Plant Council:
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.
Baby Sun Rose Cultivars
There are two main cultivars of baby sun rose that you may come across when plant shopping.
The first, I’ve already mentioned — baby sun rose ‘Red Apple’. It is a vigorous variety with flowers that are more red than pink.
Another is variegated baby sun rose (Mesembryanthemum or Aptenia cordifolia ‘variegata’). Its leaves are edged with irregularly shaped cream-colored margins.
Don’t Confuse Baby Sun Rose With…
Baby sun rose shares many similar traits with portulaca or moss roses.
All three are ground covers with fleshy leaves and bright, small charming flowers that grow well in pots.
However, baby sun rose is a perennial while moss roses (Portulaca grandiflora) and ornamental purslanes (Portulaca oleracea) are usually grown as annuals in the desert southwest.
Plant Lover Facts
Baby sun rose’s current scientific name is Mesembryanthemum cordifolia, but its previous name, Aptenia cordifolia, is still persisting and is the one that is still used most often, even by the nursery industry, even though the name change took place in 2007.
The most commonly sold baby sun rose cultivar is ‘Red Apple’, a hybrid of the parent plant (Mesembryanthemum cordifolium) and yellow sun rose (Mesembryanthemum haeckelianum), another South African native.
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credits
Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mokkie, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jacilluch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons