Fauna
Plant

Heart-leaf Ice Plant

Mesembryanthemum cordifolium

Also known as Baby Sun Rose, Red Aptenia, Heartleaf Iceplant

Heart-leaf ice plant forms dense, prostrate carpets across sunny terrain, anchoring into poor soils with slender adventitious roots that sprout from creeping stems. Tiny glistening water-storage cells stud its fleshy foliage, catching direct sunlight to create a shimmering, crystalline texture. Small magenta or reddish-purple blossoms open only during the brightest daylight hours, attracting a bustling assortment of solitary bees, syrphid flies, and butterflies.

SucculentGroundcoverDrought-Tolerant
Heart-leaf Ice Plant reference1 / 7
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPhotosynthetic (autotroph)
Predators
  • Snails
  • Slugs
  • Herbivorous insects
ThreatsSusceptibility to severe frost and displacement in wet, poorly drained soils
HabitatsCoastal slopes, rocky outcrops, cliff faces, and disturbed arid scrublands
Life spanPerennial (5–10 years)
Classification
  1. OrderCaryophyllales
  2. FamilyAizoaceae
  3. GenusMesembryanthemum
  4. SpeciesMesembryanthemum cordifolium
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Sunlight timing: Visit during midday hours when the daisy-like flowers open fully in response to direct warmth and light.
  • Leaf inspection: Look closely at the succulent foliage with a hand lens to see the translucent water vesicles that give the plant its frosty sheen.
  • Garden monitoring: When grown outside its native range, trim trailing stems regularly to keep dense mats from overwhelming neighboring native flora.
Related species
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