How to grow Moss Rose

Very hardy in full sun, don’t need a lot of watering to survive. Can be grown from stem cuttings of mature plants.

This plant will reseed as the seeds are very small and the wind will disperse them.

Direct sow outdoors in fall if you live in zone 5 or above. If you live in zone 4 or under, seed indoors before the last frost.
Pot up individually, as soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle and grow on under protection

Cover seeds very lightly as they are tiny. Maintain the soil moist with bottom watering.

Soil temperature should be kept higher than 12°C / 54°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Moss rose about 49 days before your last frost date .

Grows in mass clumps and it is really only easy to transplant individual plants when they are tiny. They will reseed and spread on their own.

Can be transplanted from nursery-grown stock.

Peat pots are great because they will be easier to transplant to the place where they are to stay. They have the ability to self sow in the garden.

Plant out as soon as all danger of frost has past, into a sunny spot that has well drained soil. Add some grit if the drainage is not sharp enough.

Ensure that temperatures are mild (minimum night temperatures should be around 12°C / 54°F) and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Moss rose is a tender plant.

Portulaca has a seed container similar to the petunia. Allow flowers to dry on the plant and collect the ‘tiny cream colored and cone shaped seed pod’ carefully. Put them in a bag as you collect them one by one. Keeping them in the bag squeeze the ‘tiny pods’ gently and the seeds will emerge. After separating the debris from the seeds, allow to air dry before storing them in a labeled paper bag.

These estimates for how long Moss rose takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Our when to plant Moss rose estimates are relative to your last frost date.

Portulaca, purslane

Portulaca pilosa subsp. grandiflora

Misspellings: portucula

¹ http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants/moss-rose.aspx