Aptenia cordifolia

This sprawling plant forms a dense mat that grows in flat clumps along the ground from six to twelve inches tall. It has bright green, heart-shaped, succulent leaves and small, reddish-purple to pinkish-purple, button-like flowers with yellow centers. Its flowers bloom from early spring until summer. The blossoms attract bees, opening during the daylight hours and closing at night. The variety ‘Red Apple’ has bright red flowers. This variety is a much faster and more vigorous growing plant. The hearts and flowers prefer a well-draining, rich, sandy, or loamy soils and partial shade to filtered sun. It also tolerates drought conditions, but prefers regular irrigation, especially during the hot summer months. This plant is relatively easy to propagate from cuttings and spreads vegetatively by rooting from its branches. It is hardy to twenty-three degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly fertilize it two to three times each year with ammonium phosphate to keep it looking healthy. Use it as a bank cover, along a retaining wall, in containers, rock gardens, or hanging baskets, cascading down a wall, or around boulders. It looks nice when used on the north sides of buildings or in north-facing planters. The hearts and flowers plant is native to the eastern coastal regions of South Africa.