Portulaca

You have heard about it, you have it or you probably want it! Here’s everything you would want to know about Portulaca! There are many species of portulacas. In this post, we are discussing mainly about Portulaca Grandiflora. The leaves are cylindrical, about an inch long and pointed on the tips. The rose-like flowers are about an inch across and come in bright colors like rose pink, red, yellow, white, and orange. Portulacas are commonly known as 9 o’clock flower or 10 o’clock or 11 o’clock flower, because they bloom at the same time everyday. The time changes based on region. In India, mostly it is referred to as 9 o’clock flower or “Naubajiya”. Many people also refer to it as “Chini Gulaab”.

Botanical Name: Portulaca grandiflora
Common Names: rose moss, eleven o’clock, Mexican rose, moss rose, sun rose, rock rose, and moss-rose, purslane.

They come in both single and double petalled varieties. Both are equally good and beautiful. If you have space in your garden, opt for one each. They are small and compact plants.

These plants are succulents with fleshy leaves & stems which means you don’t want to keep them constantly wet. They need good drainage. Water your kalanchoes well, let it all drain out & then water again when the soil is completely dry. That might mean you
water your portulacas twice or thrice every week. The frequency will vary depending on the temperature, light situation & the size of the pots.

Portulacas love sunlight. So you can go for it if you have a south facing or west
facing window. They need at least 3-4 hours of sunlight.

If they come potted, do not repot them immediately. Repot them after a month or two, that too, if required.

They are annuals. That means their entire life cycle is less than a year. So you can grow different colors every year. Also they are very inexpensive.

You can place them directly or in hanging baskets near windows that receive at least 4-5 hours of sunlight!

Do you like portulaca? Do you have it in your Garden? Comment and let me know! Do share your experiences with portulaca!

Also, if you like this post, don’t forget to check out my ebooks on flowering and indoor plants. Click here.

Happy Gardening 🙂