Life Span
Annual
  
Annual
  
Type
Flowering Plants
  
Flowering Plants
  
Origin
South America
  
Mexico, Central America
  
Types
Not available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
  
Forest edges, gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Rocky areas, Woods
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-11
  
9-11
  
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
  
12 - 1
  
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Prostrate/Trailing
  
Upright/Erect
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Red
  
White, Ivory
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
  
Light Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Needle like
  
Arrowhead
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
  
Summer, Fall
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun
  
Full Sun
  
Growth Rate
Very Fast
  
Very Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
  
Indeterminate
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
  
Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings
  
Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
  
Plant Maintenance
Low
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
  
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Requires regular watering, Water occasionally
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
  
Slightly Alkaline
  
Soil Type
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
  
Bright Indirect Sunlight
  
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shearing
  
Prune regularly
  
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
  
Red blotch
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
  
Double
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Yes
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Fine
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Matte
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
No
  
Attracts
Butterflies
  
Butterflies
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
no allergic reactions
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
  
Beautification
  
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
  
Gastrointestinal disorders, Skin Disorders
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
  
Whole plant
  
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
  
Decoration Purposes, Not Available
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
Yes
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Cottage garden, Edible
  
Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden
  
Botanical Name
PORTULACA grandiflora
  
TAGETES erecta 'French Vanilla'
  
Common Name
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
  
African Marigold
  
In Hindi
Portulaca
  
अफ्रीकी गेंदा
  
In German
Portulak
  
Studentenblume
  
In French
portulaca
  
Marigold africaine
  
In Spanish
Portulaca
  
caléndula africana
  
In Greek
Portulaca
  
Αφρικής κατιφές
  
In Portuguese
Portulaca
  
marigold africano
  
In Polish
Portulaca
  
afrykański nagietka
  
In Latin
Portulaca
  
African pingit vaccinia caltha
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Not Available
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Caryophyllales
  
Asterales
  
Family
Portulacaceae
  
Asteraceae
  
Genus
Portulaca
  
Tagetes
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Tageteae
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Asteroideae