Rio Grande Orange Purslane (Portulaca oleracea 'Rio Grande Orange')
por-tew-LAH-kah oh-ler-AY-see-ah 'Rio Grande Orange'

Annual (usually grown as an annual near you) Trailing, Mounding in the Portulacaceae Family

Portulaca oleracea 'Rio Grande Orange' is a low, trailing annual purslane grown for its cup-shaped, gold-eyed orange flowers and fleshy, succulent foliage. Like other purslanes, it's exceptionally heat- and drought-tolerant once established, thriving in the kind of hot, dry, poor-soil conditions that would wilt most other bedding annuals.

Flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon or in cloudy weather, repeating from early summer into early fall. The plant spreads and spills gracefully over the edges of containers, hanging baskets, and raised beds, and tolerates salt and urban pollution better than most annuals — though it dislikes standing water and needs sharp drainage.

Pros

  • Cheerful orange, gold-eyed flowers from early summer into fall
  • Outstanding heat, drought, salt, and poor-soil tolerance
  • Low-maintenance — needs little beyond watering and a sunny spot

Cons

  • Needs full sun and sharp drainage; dislikes standing water
  • Flowers close in shade, cloudy weather, and at night
  • A true annual here — must be replanted each year
Highlights A tough, heat-loving trailing annual with cheerful orange, gold-eyed flowers from early summer to fall; outstanding in poor, dry soil where little else thrives.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 9 inches tall. 6 - 18 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 2a - 11b (Usually hardy to -50° F)
Tags Annual, Annual in Chicago, Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Container, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Full Sun, Good for Bedding, Good for Beginners, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Rock Garden, Good for Rocky Soil, Hanging Basket, Low Maintenance, Medium, Normal Soil, Showy Flowers, Spillers, Succulent, Tolerant of Poor Soil
Bloom Period June to Frost
Flower Color Orange, Gold Eye

Photos of This with...

Rio Grande White Purslane, Autumn Charm Sedum,
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!