Portulaca aka moss rose are one of the staples of a summer desert garden. They can take a high amount of heat and need very little water. Their blooms are marvellous and they come in many different varieties. My summer garden is full of these amazing flowers and the bees and butterflies love them. So do the birds, unfortunately.
Portulacas come in a variety of colours and are also called moss roses. My mother in law used to call them officers as they closed by 5 pm every day. Cloudy days also mean that the flowers close but the newest cultivars have some varieties which stay open even in low light. They spread very easily and some might call them invasive but they have shallow roots and add charm and an old-world setting to your garden. They are easily propagated by just breaking off a stem and pressing into the soil. You also get seeds for most varieties. To be honest I never tried them from seed as they are so easy to propagate from a cutting.
Sometimes a Portulaca appears to have died but if you reduce watering and wait it springs back beautifully again. I normally have a pot of each colour saved during the winter so that I can continue to have beautiful shades of flowers in the summer. They do very well in full sun and need well-draining soil. Remember to let the soil of your Portulaca dry out a little between waterings. They require almost no fertilizer as they do well in low nutrient soils as well. Portulacas normally are quite a pest-resistant plant but can sometimes be attacked by mealybugs, snails, and aphids. They are also prone to powdery mildew and crown rot if you over water.
In the summer here in the Gulf, bees struggle not only with the heat but also have to travel long distances for food. Portulacas are one of the few flowers that do well here in the summer. Make sure you plant them in your garden as sustenance for the Bees!
Enjoy your Portlucas this season.
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