Annuals that Bloom All Summer - Moss Rose & Purslane
Moss Rose
If you are wondering about now if there is anything that will bloom during the dog days of summer, you are probably not alone. As I've mentioned before, the heat of the summer is often a time of mere survival for plants, especially when it comes to flowering annuals. However, Moss Rose and Purslane, also known as Portulacas, are reliable bloomers when it comes to the mid-summer season. In fact, the flowers of some varieties of Portulaca will not open until the intense heat of the sun reaches them!
Moss Rose, Portulaca grandiflora, and Purslane, Portulaca oleracea, are heat-loving, drought-tolerant, vibrant-blooming succulents. Both varieties can produce multicolored blooms from the same plant; in colors as varied as orange, pink, purple, fuchia, coral, lavender, yellow, and white - reminiscent to me of the bright, fiesta-style paper flowers seen among the river vendors of San Antonio and into Mexico (although much smaller!) Both plant varieties can also be found to produce flowers of one, uniform color. The single colored varieties are most dramatic in my opinion when planted en masse or along the entire border of a very sunny flowerbed or pathway. New colors, shapes and varieties are being developed all the time, but in general, Moss Rose blooms look like tiny roses and Purslane looks more like teacups. Another difference among the two plants is the shape of their leaves. Although they are not thorny, Moss Rose leaves are spiny-looking and cylindrical while Purslane leaves are typically fleshy, flat and paddle-like. 
Moss Rose - Multi Purslane - Multi
Back to their similarities: Both Moss Rose and Purslane are low-growing, somewhat trailing plants and thus, will look best if planted at the front of a flowerbed or along a pathway as I mentioned above. They also have a wonderful cascading effect that will provide a gorgeous pop of summer color in pots and hanging baskets. Sometimes I fill a pot with Moss Rose alone and other times I use it as a filler plant among existing drought-tolerant plantings. Just remember, Portulacas bloom best when in full sun, and again, some open only when sunlight touches them, so arrange your pots and baskets in your landscapes accordingly!
In performing research for this post, I learned Moss Rose is native to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Non-ornamental Purslane, on the other hand, is native to Persia and India. There is record of Purslane being used as a culinary and medicinal herb in that part of the world for over 2,000 years. Word spread of its benefits to Europe and when Europeans introduced it to the new world, various American Indian tribes also began utilizing its leaves for both food and medicine. Today, Purslane has indeed been identified as a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants, as well as vitamins A & C and some B's. For more detail about Purslane's taste and nutritional value, go to http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/purslane.html, where you'll also be able to link to sites providing recipes should you have an interest.
With regard to negatives about these plants, I can't find anything as they are virtually disease and pest free and grow with little care - unless you consider the fact that they are annuals a negative. They may re-seed, and do so quite prolifically actually, but oftentimes the new seedlings will not be true and you may find you will have plants that never bloom. Thus, it is best to replant a new batch of Portulacas each year. As for me, I am a "grow from seed if you can" kind of person, so I purchase packets every year and sprinkle the tiny, silvery-black seeds in starter pots. I set out the 4-inch pots in the sun, water every other day or so, and watch them reliably sprout. Then I transplant them where needed or wanted.
So if your flowerbeds, pots or baskets are looking a little bare right now, it is A-OK to plant Moss Rose and/or Purslane seedlings - even as we approach the month of July. You may be fortunate enough to find Portulaca plantlets on clearance at some of the large home improvement and garden centers. And if you find seed, go ahead and spring for a packet or two (or order online from Burpee to the left). Just sprinkle the seeds in your sunny pots and sunny spots and watch them grow. There's plenty of sunshine in store for them (and for you) to enjoy. After all, the official first day of summer was only a week ago!
Until next time -
Cindy
http://natureisnurture.net/
Moss Rose Single Colors
Purslane - Single Color
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Categories: Weather, Plants
Tags: beautiful blooms container plants dog days of summer annuals full sun flower plants for hanging baskets moss rose purslane portulaca drought tolerant plants
Purslane is one of my favorites, probably because it is so tolerant of drought (whether drought comes via Mother Nature or my forgetfulness!) Thanks for the info!
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Cindy, my moss rose looks great all morning up until about noon and then the flowers close up and stay closed up for the rest of the day. They are in a planter located in full sun. Is that typical?
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Yes, that is very typical during such extreme heat we are having right now in north Texas. Although moss rose and purslane are sun-loving and heat-loving plants, they will naturally conserve their energy during the 105 degree afternoon temps. In the mornings, they are generally refreshed from the overnight rest from the sun and are able to display their beautiful flowers.
During this time period of the dog days of summer here in Texas, I would definitely water them every evening and if you can, move your pots to a location where they receive a little bit of shade in the afternoon. If you haven't already, you may wish to add a little mulch (found at just about any large store) around the base of your plants to help keep the soil moist longer. You can also purchase shade cloth at nurseries and place it over your flowers to offset some of the sun's rays if you wish.
However, if you water moss rose and purslane regularly during this heat wave, they will survive - they just may not flower quite as abundantly until the temps cool down to 95 or so. (Can you believe 95 degrees is considered a "cool down"?!
Best wishes!
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Cindy, thank you for the comments above. I really like these little flowers and would like to plant them in other areas next year (I have a very large yard). What's the earliest month that they can be planted? I want to plant the seeds directly in the ground this time. Any special preparations of the soil are required? Thanks, Edie
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Hi Edie:
You are very welcome!
I would recommend planting the seeds 4-inch or smaller starter pots that you can find at the home improvement stores, such as Lowe's or Home Depot. You could begin planting the seeds in April indoors, in a sunny window or wait until mid-May to plant them outdoors, as I did this year. You can certainly toss the seed directly into the soil, but it is so tiny it may get washed away with the slightest rain or sprinkler system, thus I prefer starting in pots where the seed is contained. As you know, they are easily transplanted into the soil after about 2 - 3 weeks!
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