Yesterday when Wyokiddo and I were playing outside, I found these amazing little flowers that just now bloomed. The flower are just slightly bigger than a quarter. It reminded me of a cactus flower. Big beauty in a tiny package.
Friends tell me they are Portulaca grandiflora, commonly called rose moss. They are related to Portulaca oleracea, a species that is cultivated as an edible delicacy in Europe and Asia. The rose moss is the flowering species and not so tasty. And sometimes not so lovingly cultivated. These plants apparently love high temperatures, well-drained soil and are incredibly drought-hardy. Well, we’ve got those conditions in spades around here, so maybe I’ll get to see more of them next summer.
They are the last little bit of color before winter sets in, the Sunday to our summer.
–Teresa
