Dawn
Portulaca Grandiflora or the moss rose is one of my favorite plants for ground cover. It comes in a few different colors. The deep red and pink with white edges are my favorites. The most common color being magenta and pink , they also come in peach orange , yellows , white etc.
Mixed colors are common when cross pollination occurs. The plants just spread themselves around the garden effortlessly and bloom right from February to August/September in hot climates. This year despite the rains and the cooler weather they are still blooming in my garden.
Propagation is by cutting and from seeds. However, the seeds are so tiny and it is really hard to take care of the tiny baby plants, it is advisable to grow them from two to three inch cuttings. They need full sun, at least 6-8 hours daily. They can be ignored for most part of the time as they don’t demand much in terms of care.
The moss rose can be attached by white powdery mildew, a fungus which kills plants. Remove the affected parts and ensure that the plants get a good feed of organic fertilizer to further growth. I usually re-pot them when I see this happening. This way you can keep these plants for years to come. Mine have been around for more than 6 years now.
-
Question of
Is this a common plant in your part of the world?
-
Yes
-
No
-
-
Question of
Do you find these attractive?
-
Yes
-
No
-
Very pretty bloom Dawn.
Thanks Carol. It is common but pretty.
So beautiful! Finally, something we have here too.
Good to know that, this is a common plant we have here.
Flowers are beautiful I’m not sure if it’s growing here
Maybe not, it thrives in warm climates Lado.
It is a beautiful plant. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in our country.
Oh really, I guess it needs stronger sunlight.
Yes , I use to grow this plant in my child hood at my home balcony
If I remember right I started gardening at the age of four or five with moss rose and Zinnias.
Not fair that portulaca gets the status of a rose. I know the size of a portulaca (lol)
Remember there are button roses or tea roses which are smaller than the moss rose. It isn’t about the size , it more about the way the petals look. The hybrid varieties have large flowers too.