Soleirolia soleirolii

RHS Plant Profile

mind-your-own-business

Other common names

baby's tears, bits and pieces, bread and cheese, Corsican creeper, Corsican curse, helxine, mother of thousands, Paddy's wig, Pollyanna vine, angel's tears, friendship plant, Irish moss

Synonyms

Helxine soleirolii
Soleirolia green

Bedding Conservatory Greenhouse Houseplants

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A wide-creeping evergreen perennial with slender, rooting, pink or green stems bearing tiny rounded leaves and minute pinkish-white flowers in summer

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: North–facing or West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Urticaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Matforming
Genus: Soleirolia is a fast-growing, mat-forming perennial with creeping, rooting stems bearing small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous pinkish flowers
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: W Mediterranean Is.

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass or as a house-plant in a peat-free, loam-based compost with added grit in full light, with shade from hot sun, or in partial shade. Water as needed in summer and keep just moist in winter. Can be grown outdoors in any soil and suitable for use as bedding, including hanging baskets, becoming deciduous in frost-prone areas. However, it has the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well. See mind-your-own-business for more information

Propagation

Propagate by seed or division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Mediterranean climate plants
Wildlife gardens
Low Maintenance
Banks and slopes
Ground cover
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free