Aptenia × 'Red Apple'

This cultivated succulent hybrid derives from two species native to southern Africa, Aptenia cordifolia and Aptenia haeckeliana. Its freely branching stems remain low and creeping, forming a dense groundcover. Fleshy leaves grow closely along the brittle branches, and the flowers are bright strawberry red. The cultivar grows rapidly and has become widely distributed in gardens in regions with mild climates. It has escaped cultivation and is spreading in southern France. Photographed in Florida.