Come summer, you’ll need Mojave magic portulacas
By the time you read this The Garden Guy will have suffered another Arctic blast. How can this be? I’m still having drought nightmares. Such is the dilemma we face as gardeners, garden gurus and garden guys. Planning, however, is one thing we can do once we’ve protected the plants the best we can. So, I’m thinking Mojave, and while I do have a fascination with the desert, I am thinking portulaca.
Despite the rains and even some flooding, the U.S. Drought Monitor Map is still showing red in the Mississippi River Valley stretching from Louisiana and Mississippi and curving to Tennessee. It only makes sense to consider flowers that don’t need babysitting every day during a long, hot summer and this is certainly a strong suit of the Portulaca umbraticola.
This is where the five colors or varieties of the Mojave series rise to the top. They are not only extraordinarily beautiful in color but they are filling out trophy cases of Top Performer Awards. Mojave Red, which seems to glow in the landscape and containers, is a prime example as it has won 14 awards.
You are probably wondering if the awards are all in desert-like climates. Well, a Perfect Score Award at Louisiana State University and Leader of the Pack at North Carolina State immediately put that thought to rest. Perhaps the awards are all in the South, right? No. Awards in Minnesota, Penn State and South Dakota State show the Mojave Red has had a strong showing across the country, including the University of Florida and Oregon State.
The Mojave portulacas all have what I consider to be an iridescent glow with their rich colors. Mojave Fuchsia, Yellow and Tangerine will all light up your garden with a riotous show of color. They reach about 8 inches tall and have a 16-inch spread.
The name Mojave might make you think “Plant in a desert-like condition and go off on a 30-day vacation.” Instead think about how they are drought tolerant and can take the heat and humidity. They aren’t hungry for fertilizer and won’t need deadheading, but with average moisture they will be real troopers in the landscape.
Mojave Yellow also took home some award-winning hardware. When you consider Perfect Score Awards at the universities of Georgia, Minnesota, Tennessee and Iowa State, and Best of the Species at Penn State, you know you are getting the absolute best. It is time to let your artistic nature come alive in your combinations.
While the combinations are what gets The Garden Guy’s heart pumping, you also know I am passionate about seeing flowers with pollinator activity. They will certainly bring in butterflies but I was equally thrilled seeing a metallic green bee on Mojave Tangerine blossoms. So be prepared and have your camera ready for some prize-worthy clicks.
So, as you are planning your combinations, whether containers, window boxes or landscape borders, know there is one other location that begs for the Mojave portulaca. That area would be a rock garden, or spots within a rock wall or crevices within a flagstone path. Here is hoping the Arctic blast will soon just be a distant memory and we will all soon be trying new plants, like the Mojave portulaca.