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Botanical name: Portulaca oleracea ‘Rio Grande Orange’
Big, bold orange blooms on a low, trailing variety that is perfect for baskets; drought resistant and takes summer heat well.
Other names: Moss Rose, Purslane
| Hardiness zone | |
|---|---|
| Flower color | orange |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | trailing |
| Mature height | 3 inches (4 inches with the flowers) |
| Spread | 12 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | dry to average |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Rio Grande Orange Portulaca features showy orange cup-shaped flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. Its tiny succulent round leaves remain green in color with distinctive burgundy edges throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Rio Grande Orange Portulaca is an herbaceous annual with a trailing habit of growth, eventually spilling over the edges of hanging baskets and containers. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Rio Grande Orange Portulaca is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Container Planting, Hanging Baskets
Rio Grande Orange Portulaca will grow to be only 3 inches tall at maturity extending to 4 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 9 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Rio Grande Orange Portulaca is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its trailing habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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