Soleirolia soleirolii
An aggressive creeping evergreen ground cover with tiny rounded leaves that forms dense, moss-like carpets, spreads via rooting stems to fill gaps in paving, walls, or lawns, tolerates damp shade, and can become a nuisance if uncontrolled.
Common Names
Baby's Tears, Angel's Tears, Mind-Your-Own-Business, Barba de Moisés, Paddys Wig
Summary
Baby’s tears is a creeping evergreen ground cover native to the Mediterranean (Corsica, Sardinia, northern Italy) that forms a dense, velvety carpet of tiny teardrop leaves on short, slender stems. It grows about 3–6 inches tall and can spread 3–6 feet, with green foliage and variegated cultivars Variegata (white margins) and Aurea (gold foliage).
It thrives in damp shade with rich, moist, well-drained soil, keeping the substrate consistently moist and welcoming high humidity; outdoors it tolerates shade rather than sun, while indoors it prefers bright indirect light. Propagation is by division, and spread can become invasive if unmanaged; commonly used as ground cover in shade, in terrariums, and in hanging baskets or containers; hardy in USDA zones 9–11.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3-6 inches
Spread
3-6 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 9-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial shade, tolerates full shade
Soil Type
Moist, fertile loam that drains well.
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained soil
Soil pH
5.0-6.0 (slightly acidic)
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green, light green, dark green, variegated, verde, verde claro, vibrant green, bright green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Fast-growing
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Cuttings (stem and root cuttings)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts ground-dwelling invertebrates, including springtails and ground beetles
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Req.) Dandy
- Publication
- Feddes Repert. 70: 4 (1965)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Rosales
- Family
- Urticaceae
- Genus
- Soleirolia
Synonyms
Parietaria repens Soleirolia corsica Soleirolia repens Parietaria soleirolii Helxine soleirolii Soleirolia corsica