heartleaf iceplant, Aptenia cordifolia

Red alert! Red alert! Heartleaf iceplant is newly listed as invasive by California, and is a "wildland weed red alert". I knew them as interesting large mats that grew on otherwise open ground near the coast. The daytime flowers were always good to see. Or so I thought. Now it's clear those otherwise unoccupied spots may have been created by the iceplant. One of their more annoying games is to use their weight to cause the surface of slopes to slide downward. Whee! Red alert indeed! This south African native now lives in CA, FL, and OR. Matthaei Gardens, UM, 11/8/15. Fig-marigold family, Aizoaceae.