Mesembryanthemum cordifolium L.f.
formerly Aptenia cordifolia
heart-leaf vygie, heart-leaf ice-plant · rooibrakvygie, brakvygie (Afr.)
Fast, glossy heart-leaf vygie with small magenta flowers; a tough groundcover for coast and banks.
What’s in the name: Mesembryanthemum: Greek for "midday flower", as many open in the sun; cordifolium: "heart-shaped leaves".
“my Luve's like a red, red rose”
— Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose – Palgrave, The Golden Treasury (1861), Project Gutenberg
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Aizoaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Summer-rainfall areas, 20–800 m: along the Eastern Cape coast and in KwaZulu-Natal.
Size & form
Fast, often short-lived evergreen succulent about 25 cm high, with flat stems to 60 cm and paired, fleshy heart-shaped leaves (cordifolium means just that: "heart-leaved") about 60 × 25 mm.
Flowering
August to April.
Uses in landscaping
- Waterwise groundcover; drought-resistant
- Coastal gardens – tolerates salt spray and sandy soil
- Rockeries, terraced slopes and road embankments; under trees
Care notes
Full sun or semi-shade, in any soil improved with compost; moderate water all year. Easy from cuttings or summer-sown seed.
Wildlife value
Flowers attract butterflies, bees and other insects.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Mesembryanthemum cordifolium'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Mesembryanthemum cordifolium L.f. (assessment 2006/02/23).