Moss Rose

Name: Moss Rose
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Portulaca grandiflora

Jewel-toned blooms in rose, red, yellow, and white open each sunny day above fleshy succulent leaves.

A frost-tender warm-season annual in USDA zones 9-11; plant after the last low-desert frost for summer-fall bloom, with occasional reseeding in mild winters.

AMWUA Notes

A very low-water succulent annual that thrives on heat and neglect, perfect for hot edges and containers.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Very drought tolerant thanks to its succulent leaves — water every 1-2 weeks in summer and let it dry between; overwatering causes rot.

✂️Pruning

None needed; pinch back leggy stems to keep it compact, and it self-cleans as the daily flowers close.

🌱Fertilizing

None needed; lean, gritty soil suits it best.

🛡️Pests

Trouble-free apart from rot in soggy conditions.

☀️Seasonal Notes

A warm-season annual; sow or plant after frost for summer-to-fall bloom, and its flowers open in sun and close at night. It may reseed in mild winters.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Lean, gritty, sharply drained sandy soils; thrives in hot, dry, poor ground; rots in soggy soil.

💧Drainage

Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.

🌰Propagation

Seed or cuttings; plant after frost (warm-season). Succulent stem cuttings root easily; it may reseed in mild winters.

📐Spacing

1 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Minimal; a shallow-rooted succulent annual with no spread concern. Overwatering causes rot.

Placement Tips

•Use as a low, heat-proof edging or container filler in the hottest, sunniest spots.
•Mass along walk edges and in gravel where reflected heat and drought would fry other annuals.
•Site in full sun — the succulent blooms only open in bright light.
•Excellent in pots and rock-garden pockets with sharp drainage.