Cistanthe grandiflora, Rock Purslane is a low-growing succulent from Chile where it grows on rock screes at elevations from 1300 to 2100 metres above sea level. It forms rosettes of fleshy blue-green foliage eventually forming slender woody trunks and in summer produces masses of long-stemmed pinkish-magenta flowers.
An ideal container plant in a low terracotta pot. Cistanthe grandiflora is not fully hardy but can be tried outdoors in some south-westerly UK coastal locations providing it is fleeced and has perfect drainage and kept dry in winter. Foliage can be damaged by frost. Otherwise it makes an ideal houseplant. Keep outside in the summer in a warm sheltered spot before bringing indoors again in October.
Not to be confused with Common or Golden Purslane, Portulaca oleracea.
Often still listed as Calandrinia grandiflora, in 2009 it was reassigned from Calandrinia to the genus Cistanthe in the newly-formed Montiaceae under the APG III taxonomic classification.
Additional Information
| Order | Caryophyllales |
|---|---|
| Family | Montiaceae |
| Synonyms | Calandrinia discolor, Calandrinia elegans, Calandrinia glauca, Calandrinia grandiflora, Calandrinia lindleyana, Calandrinia lindleyana, Calandrinia speciosa, Cistanthe anceps, Cistanthe discolor, Cistanthe glauca, Cistanthe speciosa, Claytonia discolor, Claytonia grandiflora, Rhodopsis discolor, Tegneria discolor |
| Geographical Origin | Chile |
| Cultivation | Full sun. A free-draining sandy or rocky soil. Needs no additional watering. Completely dry in winter. Makes an ideal houseplant or outdoors in a container during summer |
| Eventual Height | Low groundcover to 30cm |
| Eventual Spread | Spreading to 90cm |
| Hardiness | Cold-tolerant. Not really hardy. Foliage can be cut back by frost. Best grown in containers in summer and bring indoors in October |
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