Moss Rose Flower

Moss rose plants are popular bedding plants sold in nurseries and home improvement stores in the spring. If you see any leftover annual plants on clearance in the summer, you might notice that the moss rose plants are usually just as lovely as they were in May, a testament to the plant’s toughness.

The succulent leaves of the portulaca are another clue to the wonderful drought-tolerance of this low-growing annual flower. Many varieties have semi-double to fully double flowers that resemble miniature roses. Flowers come in hot colors, like yellow, orange, red, and bright pink. White, cream, and variegated flower colors are also available.

The purslane family Portulacaceae is small, containing fewer than 100 species, including the genus Portulaca grandiflora. Many gardeners are familiar with the annual purslane weed, which self-seeds prolifically. Moss rose plants grow as much as 8 inches tall, and spread 1 to 2 feet to create a dense mat, making the plant a good groundcover.

• Botanical Name: Portulaca grandiflora

• Common Name: Moss rose

• Plant Type: Annual flower

• Mature Size: 3 to 8 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Type: Sandy, well-drained; will tolerate moist to dry soil

• Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.0

• Bloom Time: Early summer to frost

• Flower Color: White, orange, yellow, red

• How to Grow Portulaca Flowers

• The low water requirement of the moss rose makes it a natural choice for the container garden. You can include it in containers that are exposed to winds, such as on a patio or dock. The trailing habit of the moss rose works well in hanging baskets.

• Portulaca behaves itself as a ground cover, never going out of bounds, so try it in a small garden or fairy garden. Or, you can plant portulaca in the rock garden, where it will flourish in poor soils. It is also vigorous enough to grow in the pockets of a stacked stone wall, where the plants will tumble down the sun-warmed rocks.

• Light

• Portulacas need six to eight hours of full sun to reach their potential. If you try to grow portulacas in a shady area, they will pout and close up their flowers. You will also notice the flowers close at night and on cloudy days.

• Soil

• Portulacas demand a well-drained soil. If your soil is mostly clay, you should grow your portulacas in containers rather than try to turn the clay into the sandy, rocky soil that these plants love.

• Water

• Portulacas are drought-tolerant, but they aren’t cacti. The plants will tolerate periods of dryness, and you probably won’t return home to withered specimens after vacation, but flowering is better with regular irrigation. Drip irrigation is best, as sprinklers can disfigure the delicate blooms.

• Temperature and Humidity

• A native of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, moss rose likes heat and can tolerate dry conditions. It is commonly used for xeriscaping.

• Fertilizer

• Feed portulacas with a slow-release fertilizer (for flowers) twice a year, or once every 6 months.

This pretty little plant with needle-like foliage and tiny colorful flowers looks absolutely stunning. It is an annual or perennial (*in warm tropical and subtropical climates) ground cover that spreads densely. The blooms come in yellow, pink, red, white, orange and many more colors. Moss rose is very tolerant of poor conditions and dry soil.