What is Portulaca?
Portulaca is a genus of flowering plants which thrive in hot, dry conditions like those found in its native South America. People who live in drought-stricken areas often use portulaca to add color and greenery to their gardens without the need for water, and this plant also grows well in containers. Many garden stores carry portulaca seedlings in the spring, and the plant can also be grown from seed, as long as the seeds are sown after the last chance of frost has passed. You may also hear this plant referred to as purslane or moss rose. It is an annual, so it will die out when cooler weather arrives, but it can look good from the late spring all the way through the early fall, as long as it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Portulaca actually enjoys poor, sandy soil and minimal watering, so it’s a great plant for areas of the garden where other plants wilt, such as flowerbeds in a relentlessly sunny area. The plants in this genus all look slightly different, but as a
