Mezoo Trailing Red, a plant that goes by many names such as Aptenia, Dorotheanthus, Heartleaf Ice Plant and many others, is a beautiful succulent and an outstanding performer.
Hello friends! I hope that you enjoyed your Labor Day holiday. I always consider Labor Day to be the unofficial beginning of fall, but today I’m sharing a plant called Mezoo Trailing Red that has become my favorite succulent.
Now don’t brush off this information because you’ve got your mind on fall. This plant that I’m telling you about can be grown indoors, too. If you have a sun room or even just a sunny window, you can grow Mezoo easily during the winter.
This plant goes by many names and comes in a variegated and non-variegated form.
In the above photo, you can see silvery green leaves edged in cream as well as bright green solid leaves. I love both varieties equally.
One of the names that this plant goes by is Heart Leaf Ice Plant. The leaves are indeed shaped like a heart, and the stems are thick and rubbery.
The dainty, dime-sized flowers are magenta colored and close up at night.
The botanical name of this plant is Aptenia cordifolia but in the garden industry, it is known as Dorotheanthus. Some of its common names are Baby Sun Rose, Dew plant, Red apple aptenia, Livingston daisy, and mezoo.
I first became acquainted with this plant last year when my sister-in-law and I were shopping at Forest Lake Garden Center. We both grew it last year and were impressed with its performance in our heat here in South Carolina.
We both planted some again this year. You may remember seeing it in one of the flowers baskets on wooden posts earlier this year.
One of the things that I love most about this plant is its beautiful, trailing growth habit.
Not only is Mezoo Trailing Red is a perfect plant for window boxes, planters, and hanging baskets but it can be used as a ground cover because it sprawls and mounds. Just imagine how pretty it would look in a rock garden!
But what I have been most impressed about this plant is its heat, sun, and drought tolerance. It has been so hot and dry here in SC this summer, but as you can see from the photos, the Mezoo Trailing Red plants are still looking great.
Some Growing Information about Mezoo Trailing Red
- warm weather annual or a tender perennial
- hardiness zones 9-11 but can be overwintered
- thrives in full sun and partial shade
- tolerates high heat
- can be grown indoors in direct sunlight
- safe for pets
- needs well drained soil such as a cactus mix
- water regularly but do not overwater; water only when soil feels dry
- attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
- do not overfertilize; may benefit from a light feeding occasionally
- fast growing
- spreads about 20-24 inches
- height about 6 inches
- very versatile; great plant for hanging baskets, window boxes, rock gardens, fairy gardens, mixed containers, strawberry pots, and as a ground cover
So in preparation for fall and winter, I am on a mission to save as many of these plants as possible.
First, I spray painted an old, rusty hanging basket with this spray paint. I love the new, updated color which will go great on our front or back porch.
Next, I placed a new coir basket liner down inside and filled it with fresh potting soil. I already had 3 small plants that I purchased about a month ago so I planted those in the top.Then I took some cuttings from some of my other plants in order to propagate them.
Propagation Tips for Mezoo Trailing Red
It is very, very easy to propagate this plant. All you have to do is take some 5 inch cuttings, pull off the leaves on the lower end of the stem, and put the cuttings in damp, fresh soil. You don’t even need any rooting hormone. How easy is that?
I know it works because I had already propagated some earlier this summer.
I created some holes in the side of the coir basket liner to insert some of the cuttings.
And now I have a beautiful hanging basket that will only continue to grow and fill in. When the night time temps drop below 50 degrees, I will keep it on our enclosed back porch where it will get plenty of sun during the winter.
I’m not sure how easy it will be for you to find this plant. I would ask about it at your local garden center. I did find some cuttings available for purchase on Amazon (affiliate link) here: Red Apple Baby Sun Rose-Aptenia Ice Plant
In the meantime, I’m getting our front porch ready for a Fall Ideas Tour that I’m on next week. And I’ll be back tomorrow with a roundup of some awesome soup recipes.
I got one of these plants at a fair a few years ago. Tried keeping it as a houseplant in my southern window but it slowly got leggier and not pretty. After a few years, I was almost going to throw it out but decided to put in on the full sun roof deck for summer. I trimmed it up a bit, cutting it back a little, brushing off all the dead leaves. Then let it be and watered it. Wow. It grew like mad and blossomed all summer. Around late October, I pulled it into the windowed top stairwell and left it for the winter, only watered it every two weeks or less. Then in May repeated the earlier steps and voila, it again exploded and flowered all spring and summer. Last summer some of the new branches started coming out all green vs. variegated but still blossomed all summer. I take cuttings every fall and keep them in water for winter on my windowsill. Then I can add them to old pots or give to friends.
I love this succulent sun rose and they are really growing hut until now I don’t see any flower blooming at all.It is in the sun,water them when dry and fertilized it.Anything else I should be doing?Help!!!
Rose, hold off on the fertilizer and it will bloom again.
We bought 3 of Mezzo hanging baskets during the summer in MS. They have done well and very heat tolerant. The tendrils have gotten quite long and sparse looking at the top of the basket. Want to winter them over inside. Can I cut them back? If so, should it be done before wintering or in the spring?
Thanks.
I would cut them back before overwintering although I think you could probably do it either way. Last year I saved some of my plants without doing anything other than sticking them in a storage building where they would not be damaged by frost. They survived with the light from one window and very little watering.
I bought one of these beautiful plants about a month ago . I noticed about two weeks ago it was wilting . I then put it outside and it became very yellow and brown . I think it’s dying . What can I do ? Please help because I love it . Thank you
I just purchased a fairly good sized Mezoo Trailing red. It was planted with what I think is another type of ice plant (creamy white leaves with flowers similar to the trailing red)so I repotted the entire container of the two plants in a slightly larger clay pot. I am going to make a macrame hanger for it. It will spend the winter in a clear greenhouse with my other babies. I like e in Oregon, so I am hoping they will winter well. Thank you for all the wonderful information. Linda
It is a beautiful plant!
I purchased two of these in hanging baskets in early spring. They were beautiful! Over the past month parts of the foliage have been shriveling up and turned brown. I think they were potted in clay soil instead of a well draining soil. Do you think there is any hope for them if I repot them in a cactus mix?
Yes, I would repot them in loose soil.
I have these growing in pots, planters and for ground cover and really need to find some homes for some. Email if interested to hayesway79@gmail.com. jan
I rediscovered Mezoo at one of my favorite nurseries…and now I know how to make more! So…thank you! Your basket of Mezoo is lovely…hope mine turns out as well. Enjoy your day! 😉
I am so thrilled that you addressed the growing and caring for these. I just received these from my daughter-in-law. We couldn’t find them here. Her mom brought them back from a trip to Fredericksburg, TX. I feel confident that I will be successful after reading your super presentation of this beautiful plant!
Thanks Nadine! I have taken many cuttings from my original plants that I purchased last year. Enjoy!
A friend encouraged me to purchase Mezoo last spring (2018). The nursery only had a few plants and we cleaned them out! Mine grew enormous and I overwintered it in the house in front of a south facing window. It did not bloom, as expected, but it did grow. Now, in March 2019, I am taking cuttings this morning to start enough for two window boxes and 4 plants for my friend–who does not have a sunny window to overwinter tender plants. Looking forward to enjoying Mezoo again this summer.
I absolutely love this succulent. I actually purchased several plants this summer and have enjoyed them but I love using a hanging basket.
Jane, this plant is Beautiful! I hope I find one…. I really do enjoy your blog!! Thank you for sharing your creativity and talents!!! Hope to see you soon…. Nancy Hartley
I love this succulent…now I am on the lookout for one!…Beautiful Jane!!!
O have pinned this for spring. I have the perfect place for it. Thanks.
Oh so pretty! Now I have to have one! PInning!
I love these also. I got 2 small plants last summer and planted them in 2 tall planters. They grew so fast! I did not bring them in for the winter but they are still alive a kicking. I cute off some dead vines this spring and now its growing like crazy again. I tried to procreate but havent had any luck. Thank you for the tips!D