When I small my mom had lots of portulaca around the yard. She always called it moss rose, and I do like that, it is a pretteir name. I usually plant it between the drive and walk, a place that is very dry, and because it is close to wood, I don’t want to put water. Usually, I start my own see–last year a fancy double flower that was nice, but not many colors showed up. This year, I forgot to start the seeds so I picked up a 99¢ six-pack at Walmart. Since the plants have started blooming, I have been snapping photos of all the colors and shades of colors that I am getting. Most of them are above, but wouldn’t you know, after putting this together, I went to mail a letter and found the softest shade of yellow blooming. I love that very light pink. I am going to try to save the seeds from that flower to see if I isolate that color to grow next year.
gardenpath
Sandy: Loved your trip and the portulaca aka moss rose is an often overlooked annual isn’t it! I will have to plant some next year. Thanks for the reminder of its’ bright but tough beauty.
When I worked in a local greenhouse, many of the people called it Moss Rose and I remember when I first started working there I had no idea what they meant…and then they said, portulaca.
A moss rose by any other name would look as awesome, I say.
I’ve always known it as moss rose, too.
It’s a beautiful little plant and a prolific bloomer! Your colours are beautiful.
These are gorgeous – I just love the colours.
Like you, I prefer the name moss rose. The colors of these are so pretty. I am impressed that you sometimes grow them from seed.
Those flowers are so beautiful. Lovely. Wonder if it will grow here.
They’re moss roses to me too and I grow them every year.
Moss rose or portulaca is a happy plant in containers for me. It reminds me of childhood too and makes me smile. Thanks.~~Dee
My Mom called them Mexican Roses or Portulacas. I love them!
What lovely colors you’ve gotten! Love all these little portraits of them.
Oh yes, my Mom had many of these around – they don’t require a lot of water. She calls them Moss Roses too. Beautiful colors you have.
We called them rose moss and I love them. They make beautiful containers and gosh do they bloom. I buy a flat or two each spring to plant my containers. You can then break them off and put right in the soil. The little sprigs will blooom almost immediately. I take several medium pots and plant only one color in each from the cuttings and within a few weeks they are full and blooming.
Thanks wayne for the info. I think I will try that, too!
Sharon in Wisconsin- August 31,2008
Is there a way to save the seed and replant the seeds next year? I love your pics and growing moss roses also.
I live in Aiken, SC & have had the Moss Rose too ~ although it says it’s an annual, the old ones that I threw @ the edge of the woods have come back and apparently “seeds” have blown around my yard because they have also come up in various other places (lol)
I live in Ohio. 3 yrs ago I planted “moss roses.” I had no idea what they were til my friend told me. I bought new ones last year to plant because I feel in love with their beauty and easabilty to grow. To my surprise, I had moss roses EVERYWHERE!! Mine have re-seeded themselves for 2 seasons already. I have moss roses growing everywhere and I love it! They work fantastically for hanging baskets, ground cover, mixed in with other flowers in potted plants, etc. I “recycle” my potting soil each year. I dump all of my pots into one large bin and mix it all together. That is how I got moss roses in EVERYTHING. Good luck to all with your gardening this year!
Does anyone have good advice on how to ‘deadead’ moss roses? Should I just pinch off the dead BLOSSOM or should I pinch off a bit of the fleshy stem as well?
Thanks –
Oops – I’d like to be notified by email if anyone has advice on deadheading moss roses and didn’t check the right box ….