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Purslane

Portulaca

Also called Purslanes

Purslane
Photo: RichardDIyall, CC BY-SA 4.0

Portulaca is a genus of over 100 succulent-like flowering plants, including common purslane (edible and sometimes invasive) and the ornamental moss rose. Grow the ornamental kinds in hot, sunny, dry conditions with sharp drainage.

Family
Portulacaceae (Purslane family)
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out between waterings.
Soil
Sandy or gritty, well-draining mix.
Temperature
18–35 °C; protect below 10 °C.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts

About

Portulaca ( POR-chə-LAK-ə, UK also POR-tyuul-AK-ə, US also POR-chə-LAH-kə) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Portulacaceae, and is the type genus of the family. With over 100 species, it is found generally in the tropics and warm temperate regions. Portulacas are also known as the purslanes.

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is widely consumed as an edible plant, and in some areas it is considered invasive. Portulaca grandiflora is a well-known ornamental garden plant. Purslanes are relished by chickens. Some Portulaca species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the nutmeg moth (Hadula trifolii).

Other Portulaca plants

Rose moss · Little hogweed · Kiss me quick · Chickenweed

[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Portulaca by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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