Hi Texas Gardeners:
(apologies for cross-posting: I posted this in Heirloom forum before I found this one)
My grandmother who lived near Whitney TX always had a particular type of moss rose (Portulaca) that I would love to track down. She grew it in containers and beds and she said it was perennial (I think Hill co. is zone 7 or 8). I think she moved her pots onto her large screened porch during the winter but they still would have been subjected to freezing temperatures. In any case, she kept her original plants for many many years.
Her rose moss was different than the widely available moss rose sold as annual bedding plants. Its flowers were a bit larger I think and were only one color: a deep fuschia pink.
The rose moss, along with the pink Oxalis she also grew are the most memorable components of her garden that are very nostalgic to me. I remember that in her area lots of people grew the pink Oxalis, and I am hoping that this fuschia moss rose was/is also a local favorite and that someone else from this part of Texas will know it and be willing to trade or sell some.
Best Regards,
Sedonia
Old-fashioned moss rose from Hill County TX
I will send you a pic of one I bought today so you can tell me if that is what you're looking for. bloom is hot pink and looks big to me.
Somebody gave me a portulaca that is supposed to be really hardy and grows very thick. She said it would grow thick enough to crowd out nutgrass! Htop are you listening?LOL ( She's the one that gave it to me.) Htop is that portulaca you gave me the one she's talking about?
If it only grows to be just a1 to 2 inches tall, it might be. The one I gave you does not grow as tall as a "regular" one. It will freeze in the winter I think. I have never left it out because it is so different than the other type of portulaca. I take cuttings and dig up the mother plants to overwinter in my greehouse. New plants are up from seed where I had it last year. It loves the heat ... the hotter the better.
A bad photo (old camers) of it growing into the street.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/27457/
A bad photo of the bloom ...
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/27599/
I always buy my portulaca when they are blooming so I have the color and type of bloom I want.
Thanks so much for the replies, folks.
Htop, the photos you posted sure look like my grandmothers plants. Do you where you got it, or would you sell or trade some? I don't know what you like, but I have several perennials that need dividing/thinning right now.
Sedonia
ssipes, I'll Dmail you.
This message was edited Apr 8, 2006 9:51 PM
Htop
I have been looking for this too, my grandmother used to grow it. let me know if we can do a trade or if you will sell me a start.
Elva
Hi, there Elva. I am not sure that the plants I have are the same as the one for which you and Ssipes are searching. I sure would hate to disappoint bith of you. I'll post a photo that better shows its characteristics tomorrow. I have given away my extra plants that I started in my greenhouse. I just planted mine in the ground. As soon as they take off, I'll send you some cuttimgs if indeed it is your grandmother's plant. They will root quickly.
Here is a photo of the pink portulaca plant bloom. It has been quite difficult to capyture the true color of the bloom with my digital camera. It is sort of a magenta pink.
Here is a photo of the plant I have with a ruler beside it. The plant can be up to 2 inches tall (yellow arrow is pointing to the 2 inch mark). The parts of the plant in the photo that appear taller are the strands that are growing up over the edge of the container.
