Hi Everyone, I have spent hours on the internet trying to figure out what in the world this is. I purchased these potted plants in east Chinatown, in Toronto. As you can see, it does not have regular leaves but rather waxy "spikes" coming out of the stem, almost like a succulent plant. I have no idea what it is or how to care for it. It just caught my eye at the garden center so I bought it, along with some geraniums, marigolds and other more "conventional" garden flowers. PLEASE HELP! Thanks so much, Michelle
Re: Plant ID: Mystery flower - never seen anything like it! One of the Rock Roses - Portulaca spp. I think.
English name for Portulaca spp. is purslane. rose is Rosa, not Portulaca; rock-rose (hyphenated) is genera in the family Cistaceae.
And I'll say it again - I give up on common names! In Ecuador, that plant, which is a Portulaca grandiflora cv, is called Rosapiedra (literally, stone rose). Rosapiedritas (little stone roses or pebble roses) are Lithops. Rosamusga (Moss rose) here is Carpobrotus or Aptenia.
Portulaca or moss rose is what I've alway called them and they are one of the few plants I know of that produce all colors of flowers. They are easy care and pretty. They may not winter over in your climate. I had them in Calif. where they did. Just enjoy them. barb
