Portulaca

Portulaca flowers are strikingly different with their mix of beautiful colors like pink, red, yellow, orange, salmon, deep lavender, cream and white. Flowers do not open on cloudy or rainy days. They need 10 am sunlight to blossom, and so is the name 10 ‘O’ clock plant.

The portulaca plants will grow out and fall over the edges of the hanging basket making a grand display with its creepy foliage containing vibrant flowers.

Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings. While propagating through seeds, they need the sun to sprout. So, make sure that the seeds are not fully covered by soil.

Portulaca plants are real hardy and need very less amount of soil and water to grow. This makes them one of the best plants for hanging pots.

It falls under the category of invasive plant and will seed and spread themselves very well. Regular watering is not needed as the cylindrical foliage of the portulaca flower retains moisture very well.

Many varieties of Portulaca are edible (Portulaca oleracea) and taste sour due to accumulation of malic acid as a result of CAM cycle. Some species are consumed by Larvae of Lepidoptera.