Portulaca grandiflora commonly called Jump-up-and-kiss-me is native to South America and the Caribbean.
The saucer-shaped single and double-petalled flowers come in a range of colours and open daily in full sun. The singles are bright, five petalled flowers of pinks, reds, yellows, whites, apricots and purples, while the doubles are reds, yellows, pinks, whites and purples. Portulaca is a small tufted plant that grows to about 6 inches in height, while some varieties spread rapidly approximately 12 inches across. They have a centre of bright yellow stamens.
Some popular varieties are Cloud beater and Flore pleno – both are double flowers.
Portulaca is ideal for window boxes or shallow containers and as ground cover for tall plants in pots, hanging baskets and decorative borders. Around the world Portulaca is grown as an ornamental annual.
Plant in full sun. Replant every three months to keep attractive. It can be grown from seeds or cuttings in a sandy soil. Water moderately. Fertilize with Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food once per month. So add some bright colours to your garden with Portulaca. You can have a rainbow of colours to enjoy!
Until next week, Happy gardening!
