When it comes to flowering annuals, you don’t have to settle for ordinary. Try some of the purslanes for your flower bed or hanging baskets. Several kinds are available. Among these are the Rio series, the Duets, and Fairytale purslanes.


Rio Purslanes

The Rio purslane series are ideal for warm climates. These beautifully branching succulents are very vigorous. Low growing, they have spreading stems. These are attractive enough for planters and container gardens as well as garden beds.

Rio purslanes have single blooms with vivid yellow centers. These come in six different colors.

The pastels include Rio White and Rio Apricot. There is also a Rio Yellow and Rio Orange. Rio Scarlet is more of an orange-red, which is quite different than Rio Rose.


Fairytale Purslanes

The Fairytale purslanes are quite unique. These plants reach about six inches in height. They have a spreading growth habit. Fairytale blossoms are so fully double they look ruffled.

There are two varieties in this series. Fairytale Sleeping Beauty has lovely lemon yellow blooms.

Fairytale Cinderella is a most unusual bicolor. Around the outer edges are flat yellow petals, while the ruffled center is rose-red.


Duet Purslanes

The Duet purslanes are very striking. This features several bicolored varieties. The Duets have lovely trailing stems.

Duet Golden Surprise purslane looks more like a nasturtium or pansy than a purslane blossom. No two blossoms are identical. The streaking is different on each one. Their petals are covered with streaks of gold and purplish-red.

Duet Rose Improved purslane blooms resemble those of an annual coreopsis. These single flowers have petals with yellow around the edges and intense red shading towards the centers.

Duet Red on Yellow purslane has yellows in the center and reddish-orange around the edges. Duet Candy Stripe purslane blossoms also have yellow centers. These are similar to the seashell cosmos. The petals are white with delicate reddish-pink streaks around the edges.


Caring for these Flowering Purslanes

All of the flowering purslanes will need fertilized on a regular basis. Use a balanced fertilizer rather than one high in nitrogen. If they aren’t getting enough sun, the stems can become straggly and less floriferous.