Moss Rose – Portulaca grandiflora or P. spp.

Common Name: Moss Rose, Purslane

Botanical Name: Portulaca grandiflora or P. spp., por-too-LAK-a gran-di-FLOR-a

Decorative Life: Individual flowers from 6-10 days but the plant and continually developing flowers generally means many weeks of enjoyment depending on the environment. Self-pollination shortens the flower life of P. umbraticola.

Flower Color: Pink, White, Yellow

Availability: Summer, Year Round

Plugs can be stored for 5 weeks in the dark (5 weeks in light) at 45F and subsequently grown into very acceptable plants and/or flowers.

• Some species are considered weeds while some of these very same species are eaten in salads.
• Re-seeds very easily. The specific epithet name grandiflora means large flowers. In this case the flowers are large compared to the rest of the plant but are not large when compared to many other species. However, they are produced in large numbers in very bright colors.
• From “portilaca” a Latin name used by Pliny.
• Full light would be best. Some favorite cultivars and their respective flower colors include ‘Yubi’ (pink, yellow, scarlet) and ‘Duet Yellow on Rose’.

Ichimura and Suto (1998) showed that damaging the flower, especially the filaments, can greatly increase ethylene sensitivity and to a lesser degree ethylene production and shortens flower life.