Rose Moss
Portulaca grandiflora
Family: Portulacaceae
What it is like
Portulaca grandiflora is a ANNUAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Roadsides and waste places in Europe.
S. America - Brazil. Occasionally established in S. and S.C. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Leaves - raw or cooked. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used in soups etc, or can be added to cereals. The seed is very small and fiddly to utilize. Root - cooked.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The entire plant is depurative. It is used in the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver with ascites, swelling and pain in the pharynx. The fresh juice of the leaves and stems is applied externally as a lotion to snake and insect bites, burns, scalds and eczema.
Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Prefers a rather dry poor soil in full sun. Succeeds in a hot dry position, and dislikes wet soils. Although a perennial when grown in warmer climates than Britain, it is best treated as a half-hardy annual in this country. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse, pricking out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though the plants will not grow so large this way.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist