Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tender Perennial
Origin
South America
Madagascar
Types
Portulaca grandiflora
Purple vinca, Vinca, cherry red, strawberry color
Habitat
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-11
9-15
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
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red
Pink, Magenta, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
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
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral, Alkaline
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
Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Botrytis Blight, Canker, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Intestinal gas, Nausea, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Chest pain, High blood pressure, Inflammation, Sore throat, Tooth ache, Wounds
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, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Cottage garden, Edible
Bedding Plant, Container, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PORTULACA grandiflora
CATHARANTHUS roseus
Common Name
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
Madagascar Periwinkle, Periwinkle, Vinca
In French
portulaca
Vinca
In Spanish
Portulaca
Vinca
In Portuguese
Portulaca
Vinca
In Polish
Portulaca
Vinca
In Latin
Portulaca
Galium
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Gentianales
Family
Portulacaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Portulaca
Catharanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Importance of Portulaca and Vinca
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Portulaca and Vinca. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Portulaca and Vinca 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 Vinca is Chest pain, High blood pressure, Inflammation, Sore throat, Tooth ache and Wounds. Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems while Vinca has beauty benefits as follows: Skin Problems.
Compare Facts of Portulaca vs Vinca
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 Vinca 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 Vinca have Intestinal gas, Nausea and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Portulaca has no showy fruits and Vinca has no showy fruits. Also Portulaca is not flowering and Vinca is not flowering . You can compare Portulaca and Vinca facts and facts of other plants too.