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Nothing beats this annuals nonstop showing of extremely vibrant colors that last all summer long. These cheerful spreaders enjoy full sun and are very heat and drought tolerant.
They're fast growing and will reach a height of 6-8 inches and a 6-8 inch width. They look their best on bright sunny days where you'll find their blooms fully opened up. If you plant them 6-8 inches in spring you'll have a mass of color in no time.
The fleshy prostrate plant looks best when massed in a large group in sandy, dry, well drained soil. They're also fantastic in containers and hanging baskets because their stems will cascade over the pot.
They can be found in either single or double ruffled blossoms of red, rose, yellow, orange, and white--some are even striped. Transplants need a high amount of water at first, then you can cut back to deep waterings when the top 2-3 inches is dry to the touch.
Portulaca seeds should be sown outside after your last frost has passed. You can also sow them indoors making sure the soil keeps a 68-86 degree temperature. Seeds will germinate within 10-15 days.
Loz's Pics.
Bill's Pic.
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Nah, you didn't miss it....The original posted date up top is when I posted it in the workroom......then I just moved it here...tonight actually!
Their seeds spread really easy too....The first year I grew them in the front of the house, the second year they were popping up all the way at the side and back.....
I 100 percent will have these in my garden every year for the rest of my life....
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Beautiful picture loz! My mom always grew these in an old metal dish pan and they would self sow their seed, so each winter she would drag the dish pan into the garage and then drag it back out in spring, I don't really think that was neccessary, but it worked for her and she always had her dishpan full of beautiful blooms.
Great Pics. I am overwintering some in the house and they are still blooming. I am finding that the ones in the house want fertilizer in their water though. Without it the stems go white and get very weak and it quits blooming. I hope these live through the winter since it will mean even earlier blooms next year.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Tammy, you'll have to let me know how that works out for you--I've never tried to overwinter an annual before...I don't blame you for trying...The flowers are just so darn pretty!
I just want to add that this summer I clipped some of the stems off and stuck them in a pot and watered them good and they took off....So if you have a few really nice healthy portulacas you can end up spreading them really easy without buying a ton of them.
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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quote:Originally posted by loz: I just want to add that this summer I clipped some of the stems off and stuck them in a pot and watered them good and they took off....So if you have a few really nice healthy portulacas you can end up spreading them really easy without buying a ton of them.
Wow this is great to know, esp if there is a certain color that a person favors.
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I bought some last year and after the blooms stopped my cats began sleeping in the pot. I just let it sit through the winter and have noticed sprouts coming up! They are a wonderful plant!
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Gorgeous photos loz & Bill:) My mom has grown moss roses for years all along her home foundation to mask the ugly cement & they stay blooming for so long. She started out with a discount tri-pack of them about 4 years ago & now her home is just surrounded by them, just beautiful...and she never does a thing to hers either, they just keep on blooming. I need to go grab some of hers & get them into my yard;)
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Are there more varieties of this. The ones I found in my back yard are different than the ones I have in a pot on the porch. Different stalk and single bloom, but same type of bloom. Does that make any sense? I'll try to get pics if needed.
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I'd like to see some pics Tonya ....I only know of the basic portulaca....but there are different flower types and colors such as sundial mix, Sunnyside, Margarita Rosita.....
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Is it any wonder that Portulaca is in my top 3 flower favorites? I LOVE them, love the color, love the shape of the flower, love that they are heat/drought tolerant!
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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How do I reseed? I see you talking about dead heading them what exactly does that mean? I am new to this gardening stuff!
From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Jun 2006
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Dead heading is when you pick of the spent flowers...but with portulacas you really don't need to do it--I never have. At the end of summer the plants will die down. They are annuals and only grow one season. Don't pull them out--let them die back and the following spring you will more than likely have a lot of reseeding!
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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quote:Originally posted by loz: Dead heading is when you pick of the spent flowers...but with portulacas you really don't need to do it--I never have. At the end of summer the plants will die down. They are annuals and only grow one season. Don't pull them out--let them die back and the following spring you will more than likely have a lot of reseeding!
Thats soo true Loz I have them growing in places , I didn't plant them this year Last year they were in a container planter,, but this year they are growing here and there in the ground in my sitting area..I just let them grow it looks pretty cool growing amoung the white rock but now I have about 10 places to go dead head instead of just one place like last year. It isn't mass growth but enough to notice littles colorful patches here and there actually I was suprised to see them coming up so I just left it alone,, I'm thinking maybe last summer was the Grndboys job to dead head it and maybe they broke off pieces while deadheading and threw them in the area But however they got there I like it and I hope I see the same thing next year.. I dead head just about everyone of them it seems to bloom longer and more frequent when I do other wise it just dries up OR just gets a seed that doesn't bloom
Celebrating 10 years of helping your gardens grow!
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But however they got there I like it and I hope I see the same thing next year.. I dead head just about everyone of them it seems to bloom longer and more frequent when I do other wise it just dries up OR just gets a seed that doesn't bloom
