Find Your Ask The Plant Expert: This plant has almost succulent-like leaves. When I purchased it, I was told that it is an annual that will give beautiful blooms all summer if given enough sun. So far it’s doing well in the sun. Can you tell me what it is and perhaps give me more information about it? – Melanie
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
The plant is purslane. It is probably Portulaca grandiflora a sister to rose moss. The succulent-like plant is drought and heat tolerant. It likes a humid environments and is very low maintenance because it doesn’t require dead-heading. It has a creeping growth pattern and is hardy to 30° Fahrenheit. It is consiered an annual in all zones above 9. However in our area (northeast Arkansas zone 6B), I have seen it preform more like a perennial. It needs to grow in full sun with dry to normal water requirements.
Hope this information was helpful.
Response from Melanie: Thank you very much. I really enjoy the blooms on this plant and wanted to know what it was so that I could properly take care of it. I think I’ll be looking for more of these plants for hanging baskets. This is the 3rd plant that you’ve identified for me, and I appreciate your help and the information you share. I love the blog!
This is not Portulaca grandiflora in which has much narrow linear leaves. This is P. umbraticola (Wingpod Purslane) whose leaves are like P. oleracea (common purslane) but flowers like P. grandiflora. Nurseries of sell them wrongly labelled as P. oleracea or P. grandiflora.