Creeper (Aptenia cordifolia)

Aptenia Cordifolia May 23, 2017

I don't have any original picture of this fun succulent creeper Aptenia Cordifolia when it was in it's pot. But back in it's hay day, this plant was in a pot and it would overgrow the sides and spill out. I would trim it back every winter, and it would start doing the same thing by spring. It was glorious.

This was of course back in our condo, we had an upper balcony that had sun almost all day but mostly afternoon/evening at peak hours of the day. I couldn't really grow flowers as I couldn't keep up with the amount of watering they were requiring. So I went all succulent to make it a little easier on myself. Which is how I found this guy.

I purchased it along with a bunch of other succulents the year we moved into the condo summer 2013 and have been it's keeper ever since. It did not do well in the move to Mission Viejo however, it was forgotten about a lot and unfortunately shrank down to nothing and was on the verge of death, it looked pretty pathetic. I decided since we had so much land available now, I'd put this little guy into the ground, fertilize, and see how it does.

So two months ago I placed it in a nice open area behind our mini water fountain. My hope was that it would eventually not only recover, but creep all over this open space back here and bloom it's pretty hot pink flowers. It has been two months and I am very pleased to see this little plant on the mend. Although it has not expanded it's territory much yet, it did recover it's lost foliage and is blooming (always a good sign). Will check back in after few more months and see how it's doing!

Aptenia Cordifolia July 23, 2017 (after 2 months)