Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tree
Origin
South America
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Portulaca grandiflora
Tropical Fruit Tree
Habitat
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-11
10-15
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-9
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
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Prostrate/Trailing
Spreading
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Yellow green, Brown
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
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Oblong or Lanceolate
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Well drained
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shearing
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Cottage garden, Edible
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PORTULACA grandiflora
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
Portulaca
Elephant Apple
In German
Portulak
Elefant von Apple
In French
portulaca
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
Portulaca
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
Portulaca
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
Portulaca
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
Portulaca
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Portulaca
Elephant Apple
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Dilleniales
Family
Portulacaceae
Dilleniaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Portulaca and Elephant Apple
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Portulaca and Elephant Apple. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Portulaca and Elephant Apple as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Portulaca is Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite and Swelling whereas of Elephant Apple is Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent and Expectorant. Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems while Elephant Apple has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems.
Compare Facts of Portulaca vs Elephant Apple
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Portulaca vs Elephant Apple and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Portulaca are whereas of Elephant Apple have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Portulaca has no showy fruits and Elephant Apple has showy fruits. Also Portulaca is not flowering and Elephant Apple is not flowering . You can compare Portulaca and Elephant Apple facts and facts of other plants too.