The Moss Rose is incredibly tough - could anyone still manage to kill it?

If you are the kind of person who manages to kill every plant you touch, then you need the plant below - its name literally means "un-killable." Of course, many people call it the sun flower, because as long as there is sun, it will bloom. It comes in different varieties, and my favorite is the Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora).

The Moss Rose is an exceptionally easy-to-grow container plant, and you can also plant it in the ground. It is usually propagated by seed, though propagation by stem cuttings is also very quick - basically, it will survive as soon as it touches soil. It likes loose, well-draining soil, and as long as you avoid waterlogged soil, it will grow well.

If you want to propagate the Moss Rose, you can simply buy some seeds and sow them. It has a great many varieties with different flower colors, including the common white, pink, red, purple, yellow and orange.

The Moss Rose's seeds have an extremely high germination rate. As long as the temperature is around 15-30°C, it can be propagated. Prepare some loose, well-draining sandy soil and a relatively small container; after leveling the soil, scatter the seeds evenly on top. Each small pot only needs about a dozen or so seeds.

During care, keep the environment warm and the soil moist, and avoid drought. You can mist water around it to maintain some air humidity. Once you see small sprouts emerge, give them appropriate indirect light and avoid leaving them in a shady spot.

The Moss Rose's young sprouts are very fragile. When the seeds have just germinated, avoid watering with a heavy stream, otherwise it is very easy to knock the tender sprouts over. You can simply use the bottom-watering method to replenish moisture: fill a basin with a little water, then place the pot in it and let the water slowly seep in through the drainage holes at the bottom until the soil is completely moist, then take it out.

The Moss Rose's young sprouts generally grow quite tall within one to two weeks. As its branches and leaves grow taller, its stems will grow rather sprawling, so pay attention to pruning, otherwise it will spread excessively.

For container-grown Moss Roses, be sure to place them in a ventilated spot with good light. They do not need frequent watering - you can wait until the soil dries out completely and then water thoroughly. If you want to encourage continuous branching and more flowers, you need to pinch the tips regularly. Once its stems grow to more than 15 cm, pinch off the tender tips - don't worry that this will kill it.

Besides giving the Moss Rose as much light as possible, you should also keep the environment warm year-round. As long as the temperature stays above 15°C, it can keep blooming all year.

Apart from on cloudy and rainy days, when the flowers tend to wilt, as long as it is sunny, its flowers will keep opening. Although each individual flower has a very short blooming period, it produces new buds every day.