Life Span
Annual
Annual or Biennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
South America
Mexico, Central America
Types
Portulaca grandiflora
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
Habitat
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-11
9-15
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-8
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, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Prostrate/Trailing
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Red
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Well drained
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shearing
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Shade areas, Shallow soil
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Butterflies
Butterflies, Mice
Allergy
-
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
Improve skin tone
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Soil protection
Medicinal Uses
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
Bulbs, Root
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Cottage garden, Edible
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
PORTULACA grandiflora
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
Common Name
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
Mexican Yam bean
In Hindi
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus erosus
In German
Portulak
Yambohne
In French
portulaca
Kłębian kątowaty
In Spanish
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Greek
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Portuguese
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Polish
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Latin
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus erosus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Caryophyllales
Fabales
Family
Portulacaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Portulaca
Pachyrhizus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms
Importance of Portulaca and Jicama
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Portulaca and Jicama. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Portulaca and Jicama 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 Jicama is Cold, Fever and Inflammation. Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems while Jicama has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems.
Compare Facts of Portulaca vs Jicama
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 Jicama 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 Jicama have Irritation to stomach and Itchiness respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Portulaca has no showy fruits and Jicama has showy fruits. Also Portulaca is not flowering and Jicama is not flowering . You can compare Portulaca and Jicama facts and facts of other plants too.