How to Grow Moss Rose Flowers (Portulaca)

About Growing Moss Rose Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

If you live in an area of heat and drought, you will love growing Moss Rose flowers. Also commonly called Portulaca, this tough, yet pretty little plant, needs little moisture to thrive and bloom. It grows well in the mid-summer heat, too. Hardy annual Moss Rose plants are native to South America, Moss Rose, or Portulaca. It produces vividly colored blooms. Flower blooms begin to appear in early summer.

Moss Rose grows just up to nine inches tall. Place it in the front of your flower garden. Try planting Moss Rose as border edging, in rock gardens, as bedding plants, or as ground cover. They also look good in containers and hanging pots. They’ll be forgiving when you forget to water them.

At the end of the season, you can bring them indoors. But, the plants need full sunlight to flower and bloom. So, if you do not have a very sunny window to place the by, is is better to choose another plant to grow indoors.

Moss Rose (Portulaca) Plant Specifications

Flower colors: Colors include orange, purple, pink, red, yellow, and white.

Flower Blooms: early spring to frost.

Plant Height: 3 to 9 inches tall.

Ideal Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0.

Light Requirement: Full sunlight.

Hardiness Zones: 2 – 11

Are Plants Toxic? Varying Opinions.

Deer Resistant? No

Native To: South America, Primarily Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

Plant Type: Annuals.

Botanical Name: Portulaca Grandiflora

Other Names: Eleven O’clock, Purslane, and Sun Plant

Are Moss Rose Plants Edible?

Uncertain. We have performed extensive research and discovered conflicting information as to whether this plant is safe to ingest. Universities and other reliable sources disagree.

As a result, we recommend you avoid eating this plant.

Medicinal Uses for Moss Rose Plants

Moss Rose has a variety of medicinal applications. Here are some of the potential benefits:

It treats hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver.
Make a lotion from the juice or sap of the leaves and stem to treat snake bites.
You can also use the lotion to treat burns, insect bites, and exzema.
The leaves are used to treat and prevent scurvy.

Important Note: You should not use it to make home remedies unless you are properly trained to do so.

Light Requirements

Grow Moss Rose flowers in bright, direct, full sun. Select a planting location where they will receive six to eight hours of full sunlight.

The plants grow in partial sunlight. However, if they do not receive sufficient sunlight, the plant will fail to bloom.

Annual Moss Rose Plant Propagation

Moss Rose plants are grown from seeds. Moss Rose seeds can be directly seeded into your flower garden or seeded indoors for transplanting later. For growing Moss Rose, an early, indoor start, translates into an earlier bloom.

Sow seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/8″ of fine garden or seed starting soil.

Seeds germination period, requires one to two weeks. For indoor starts, try a seedling germination mat.

Do not set out seedlings until after the last frost date in your area. Plants are susceptible to frost. The ideal plant spacing is ten inches apart.

Established plants can also be propagated by cuttings.

Days to Germination: 10 – 15 days.

About Seed Germination

How to Grow Moss Rose Flower Plants

Moss Rose flowers are easy to grow. Grow Moss Rose plants in full sun. Plants prefer average to poor soils. They prefer loose, sandy, or loam soil. A well-draining composition is important.

The final spacing is six to twelve inches apart. The plants tolerate a little overcrowding. This makes them good candidates to grow in containers.

Moss Rose plants are drought and heat tolerant. In the flower garden, watering is seldom needed. If growing in containers or hanging pots, allow the soil to dry between watering. Add a general-purpose, high nitrogen fertilizer when first planting, to help them to get a good start. Add a high Phosphorous fertilizer just before blooming. No other fertilizer applications should be needed for the season.

Moss Rose produces tough, long-lasting, rose-like blooms, in early summer. Pinch or deadhead spent flowers to promote more blooms.

Prune plants to create a fuller, neater appearance. Provide plenty of air circulation through the plant to help avoid fungal disease.

Plants are annuals that are very susceptible to frost. Cover them up whenever cold temperatures are expected.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.

Growing Moss Rose Flowers in Containers and Flowerpots

Short and compact Moss Rose plants make the good candidates for flowerpots and containers on your patio or deck. And, their perky blooms will make you want to grow them there. They grow well in windowsill planters, too.

In addition to the normal steps for growing them, here’s how to care for them in a flowerpot or container:

It is important to have a drain hole to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every day or two, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
Keep the soil moist, but not wet. It is okay to let the top of the soil begin to dry between watering.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer once a month.
Select a sunny to partly sunny location on your deck.

Pruning Annual Moss Rose Flower Plants

The plants are almost maintenance free. Pruning is not necessary. However, you may want to remove the occasional damaged or broken stems and leaves.

Deadheading spent blooms is not required, either. However, you may want to remove them to improve plant appearance. If you leave them on the plant, you can harvest seeds for next year’s crop.

Insects and Plant Disease

Aphids, gnats, and other insects can pose a problem. Treat with insecticide or repellents, as needed. Snails and slugs can also be a problem. See more on Snail and Slug Control.

Fungus diseases can occur. Use a general-purpose fungicide in humid weather, and when problems appear.

Stem and root rot can occur. This is a problem in wet soil. Avoid problems by planting in sandy, or other well-draining soil. A slightly elevated planting bed also helps to avoid this problem.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.