Portulaca

( port - yew - LAY - kuh )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly known as Purslane or Moss Rose, this genus of annual and perennial flowering herbaceous plants includes species which need full sun and moderate to regular water to perform well in the garden. They are low-growers with slightly fleshy foliage, commonly with bright flowers. Their leaves can be used in cooking and as an addition to salads. Blooms last from late spring until the first frost of the year; individual flowers open in the morning light and close by midday. They are wonderful for parking strips and rock gardens and can also do well in hanging baskets or as edgings or bank covers. They are sometimes used as small-space groundcovers or for growing on slopes and hillsides as erosion control plants. Take care when planting these flowers in the garden, as they are toxic to pets.

Portulaca Species and Varietals

The genus Portulaca is the sole member of the plant family Portulacaceae and includes 115 individual species. The plants in this genus are closely related to those in Portulacaria (Elephant Bush), Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce), Beta (Beet), and Amaranthus (Amaranth). These plants grow well in all zones. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Portulaca amilis (Paraguayan Purslane, Broadleaf Pink Purslane)
These plants are native to South America, and have been introduced to the southeastern United States. They typically grow in disturbed areas such as roadsides, fields, lawns, and gardens. Plants produce fleshy green leaves with sharp points and reddish stems. Flowers are pink and have yellow centers. Individual plants reach between 2 and 10 inches tall when mature and in bloom.

Portulaca bicolor (Pigweed, Moss Rose, Australian Pigweed, Heart-Plant)
These succulent plants have cylindrical, small, rounded leaves and red stems, flowering throughout the year. The species is native to coastal areas of Australia. Flowers are blue-pink with white stamens topped with yellow anthers. Individual plants in the species reach up to 4-8 inches tall and trailing stems can reach 6 to 24 inches long.

Portulaca filsonii (Sedopsis, Pink Rock-Wort)
These rare plants are endemic to central Australia, and were first described by James Hamlyn Willis in 1975. The specific epithet honors Rex Bertram Filson. The species is considered threatened with extinction. They are succulent perennials, and produce reddish to grey-green foliage and red stems. Flowers are pink with whitish centers.

Portulaca grandiflora (Rose Moss, Eleven O'Clock, Mexican Rose, Moss Rose, Sun Rose, Table Rose, Rock Rose, Moss-Rose Purselane, Portulaca)
This species is native to South America and reaches 6 inches tall and 1.5 feet wide. Trailing reddish stems are covered with leaves and small flowers that can come in white, red, cerise, rose-pink, orange, and yellow. These plants are available in both single and multi-color varieties and as single or double blooms. All varieties will self-sow but seedlings tend to revert to the characteristics of parent strains.

'Afternoon Delight'

'Calypso Mix'

'Duet'

'Fairytale'

'Happy Hour'

'Margarita'

'Mega Pazzaz'

'Mojave'

'Rio'

'Sundance'

'Sundial'

'Sunseeker'

'Sunnyside Mix'

'Tequila'

'Yubi Summer Joy'

Portulaca halimoides (Silkcotton Purslane, Desert Portulaca)
Native to the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, as well as Central and South America. These fleshy annuals produce a branching stem that spreads to about 10 inches. Foliage is green to reddish-pink in color, and flowers bloom in clusters at branch tips. Blooms are quite small and yellow. Seeds can be black, grayish, or silvery.

Portulaca oleracea (Purselane, Little Hogweed, Pursley, Verdolagas, Pirpirim)
Native to India, this species is edible, and has small yellow flowers and plump, succulent leaves. Stems and leaves can be added to salads, soups and sauces. Improved varieties are commonly sold as the species, and are wonderful additions to edible gardens. This species is considered invasive in large regions of North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Portulaca pilosa (Pink Purslane, Kiss-Me-Quick, Hairy Pigweed, Shaggy Portulaca)
These annual plants are native to the southern United States and the Caribbean as far south as Brazil. These succulents produce linear leaves covered with soft hairs. The species is highly variable, and flower from late spring through early fall, though they can flower year round in mild climates. Foliage is green, stems are red, and small flowers are pink to magenta in color. This species is considered highly invasive in Hawai'i, the Galapagos Islands, New Caledonia, and Christmas Island.

Portulaca suffrutescens (Shrubby Purslane, Copper Purslane)
These plants are native to the southwestern United States and northern to central Mexico. These plants reach up to a foot tall when mature and in bloom, and produce linear, almost needle-like green succulent foliage. Flowers are orange, copper, or bronze, and bloom at the ends of stems, which can be gold to orange-red in color. Seeds are black.

Portulaca umbraticola (Wingpod Purslane, Crownpod Purslane, Purslane, Portulaca)
These annuals or short-lived perennial succulent plants have small foliage with flower colors that range from yellow, pink, and orange to blue. Stems, leaves, flowers, and roots of these plants are considered edible. Individual plants reach up to 10 inches tall. 'Wildfire' hybrids of this species are fantastic for hot-summer climates.

Caring for Portulaca

Take care when planting these flowers in the garden, as they are toxic to pets. Plant Portulaca in springtime after all threat of frost has passed by. If using Portulaca as a groundcover plant, space them between 6 a 12 inches apart for best coverage and airflow. They do best in full sun exposure; ideally, they should be getting between 6 and 8 hours of direct sun each day to perform and flower well. They do well in sandy and rocky soils, but can also be grown in light potting soils. They appreciate a soil pH of between 5.5 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Water new plants regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these plants are very drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the year with supplemental waterings during extended periods of dry weather. They will flower best when they receive at least some moisture during their active growing periods.

Moss Rose does not need to be fertilized, but can benefit from a compost feeding yearly. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Portulaca plants need little in the way of pruning; simply remove any dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any point during the growing season in spring and summertime. When plants are fading towards the end of the growing season, they can be cut back and will push out some new growth before fall. In early spring each year, plants can be cleaned up and leggy growth can be removed to encourage a bushier habit. Portulaca plants can be annual or perennial. Annuals are typically pulled and composted at the end of the growing season or left in place to enrich the soil. In areas where Portulaca is treated as a perennial, it can last for multiple years in the garden before needing to be replaced. Both perennial and annual species will re-seed freely in the garden, providing new seedlings for the garden indefinitely.

Harvesting Portulaca
Portulaca, also known as Purslane, can be harvested for its edible leaves and stems, which are typically used in cooking and added to salads. The most commonly harvested species is Portulaca oleracea. The best time of the year to harvest these plants for their leaves and stems is in springtime, before flowering begins for the season. Using clean, sharp shears, remove stems above growing nodes or pinch off individual leaves. Entire plants can be harvested or stems can be cut back. Some blemishes on leaves is normal, and are nothing to worry about, especially if you are cooking them. Purslane can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or more, but make sure to wait to wash it until just before using it for best results.

Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is strictly and categorically intended as a reference to be used in conjunction with experts in your area. Foraging and consumption of plant parts should never begin without the guidance and approval of a local plant specialist. The providers of this website accept no liability for the use or misuse of information contained in this website.

Propagation

Portulaca, or Moss Rose, can be propagated by cutting or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Moss Rose, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Portulaca by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Portulaca by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new plant.

Portulaca spent flowers will drop from plants naturally, leaving behind open seed heads.

Portulaca seeds are very tiny and black in color.

Problems and Pests

Certain species are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. Portulaca plants can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape: