Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
South America
Southern Africa
Types
Portulaca grandiflora
Carissa Carandas
Habitat
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-11
9-11
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
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Prostrate/Trailing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
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
Oval to roundish
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
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
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
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
Fruits
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Cottage garden, Edible
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
PORTULACA grandiflora
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Portulaca
नेटाल बेर
In German
Portulak
Natal Plum
In French
portulaca
natal Plum
In Spanish
Portulaca
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
Portulaca
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Portulaca
Natal Plum
In Polish
Portulaca
Natal Plum
In Latin
Portulaca
Natal Plum
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Gentianales
Family
Portulacaceae
Apocynaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Importance of Portulaca and Natal Plum
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Portulaca and Natal Plum. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Portulaca and Natal Plum 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 Natal Plum is Iron, Potassium and Vitamin C. Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems while Natal Plum has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems.
Compare Facts of Portulaca vs Natal Plum
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 Natal Plum 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 Natal Plum have Mildly Toxic respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Portulaca has no showy fruits and Natal Plum has showy fruits. Also Portulaca is not flowering and Natal Plum is not flowering . You can compare Portulaca and Natal Plum facts and facts of other plants too.