Pigface

We saw this succulent in a mixed business shop today and Terese likes the big pink flowers it has so we decided to buy it. It was only $3.50 so no need to think too much, just get it.
The botanical name for it is Carpobrotus acinaciformis or commonly known as the larger version of Pigface. Pigface is a common plant found in many Malaysian gardens and this is the larger cousin of it but they're all from the succulent family. In Malaysia we call them literally 'sun flower' because the flowers open when the sun comes out and close when the sun sets.

Anyway I soon regret buying it when I got it home and wanted to transplant it into a bigger pot. When I took it out of the plastic container I found out that it hasn't even grown roots yet. What the shopkeeper has done was pick some cuttings from his own backyard and stuck them in a pot of dirt to sell to unsuspecting people like us. We basically spent $3.50 for a few cuttings, a plastic pot and some dirt. I should have known better judging from the way the stems are all bunched together and half buried in the pot lidat. They will probably grow in a few weeks time but I would prefer to buy a more established plant than some cuttings from someone's backyard! And yes the shop is owned by Chinese famously known for their unscrupulously business ethics.