24 Types of Calandrinia Plants [With Pictures]

Calandrinia are flowering plants that are commonly known as purslanes and redmaids. They comprise both annual and perennial plants. Generally, Calandrinia are easy to take care of. Let us take a look at some aspects related to their growth and care.

Is Calandrinia a Succulent?

Calandrinia plants are succulents. They can withstand high temperatures and are also drought resistant. In fact, their leaves or foliage, which are a combination of blue and green colors, are succulent in nature. Being thick and fleshy, they can store water to survive in hot and dry climates.

Types of Calandrinia Succulents

Calandrinia acaulis

Calandrinia affinis

Calandrinia ambigua (Desert Purslane)

Calandrinia brevipedata

Calandrinia breweri (Brewer’s Redmaids)

Calandrinia calyptrata (Pink Purslane)

Calandrinia ciliata (Fringed Redmaids)

Calandrinia compressa (Curnow’s Curse)

Calandrinia eremaea

Calandrinia grandiflora (Rock Purslane)

Calandrinia holtumii

Calandrinia liniflora

Calandrinia litoralis

Calandrinia menziesii (Redmaids)

Calandrinia mirabilis

Calandrinia pickeringii

Calandrinia polyandra

Calandrinia ptychosperma (Creeping Parakeelya)

Calandrinia remota

Calandrinia skottsbergii

Calandrinia spectabilis (Rock Purselane)

Calandrinia strophiolata

Calandrinia uniflora

Calandrinia volubilis

How Do You Plant Calandrinia?

Purslanes can grow well in USDA zones 3-10 while the perennial plants can grow in zones 8-10. For the soil, you should usually combine a good soil mix with some sand or grit. This is to ensure that the soil drains quickly, preventing water from logging and rotting the roots.

If you are using seeds, you can sow them in this mix by spacing them apart well.

Make sure you plant them in spring so that they can grow well during their natural growing periods. They should receive a lot of direct sunlight along with a temperature of 55℉-60℉.

How Often Should I Water Calandrinia?

Calandrinia plants, like most succulents, do not require plenty of water to survive as they are used to growing in hot and dry climates. Thus, minimal watering is sufficient for these plants while growing.

Once in ten days or so can work as long as you check that the soil is fully dry and not moist as this could otherwise cause the roots to rot. Make sure you water these plants only lightly.

It is not necessary to water these plants in winter at this rate, since that is usually when they become dormant. If you do it once or twice all winter, your plant will still be okay.

Can You Propagate Calandrinia?

You can propagate Calandrinia from seeds. To do this, you should prepare the soil mix in case you are growing it in a container indoors. Place the seedlings at a certain distance and cover them up with soil. They will take a few weeks to germinate and start growing.

If you are planting them outdoors, you should sow the seedlings in the soil with 8 inches of distance between each of them.

Can You Grow Purslane from Cuttings?

You can also grow purslane from cuttings. You simply need to carefully cut out stems from the main plant in a way that there is some gap left below the node.

Let these cuttings rest for a few days so that they can become dry while also growing a callus. You can then sow these cuttings in the prepared soil mix either in a pot or outdoors.

Does Purslane Need Fertilizer?

Purslane does not require fertilizer to survive and grow healthily. This is because purslane can resist drought conditions pretty well. Moreover, as long as it has healthy soil mixtures and the required amount of water, it will be able to grow well.

Adding fertilizer one or two times will not be a problem if you choose to give your plant some additional nutrients. Make sure you dilute this so that it is not too strong.

How Do You Trim Calandrinia?

If you want to cut Calandrinia stems for propagation, you can do so at an angle from between nodes to protect the parent plant. Use a sharp knife for this.

In a similar way, you can trim down the plant right before winter until it is six inches so that it can survive better through its dormancy.

FAQs

Where does Calandrinia spectabilis grow?

Calandrinia spectabilis, or rock purslane, grows in hot and dry climates in USDA zones 8-10. If you live in a cold climate, it would be better for you to grow it indoors at consistent temperatures.

Is purslane toxic to dogs?

Purslane can be toxic to dogs since it contains soluble calcium oxalates that have salts that could harm your dog. If you think your dog has eaten purslane, you should take them to the veterinarian to get them checked out.

Why is my purslane yellow?

If you notice that your purslane leaves are yellow, that could indicate that your roots are unhealthy or starting to rot. It could also point to fungal infections. You can try to use a fungicide to get rid of this.

How long does rock purslane bloom?

When the plants reach a height of about 2 feet, the flowers will start blooming in pink and purple colors. They usually bloom all year, particularly in spring and summer and less so in winter. They open up early in the day and close at night.

Can you grow purslane inside?

You can grow purslane inside as long as you place them in a spot that gets plenty of direct sunlight. You will also need to repot it occasionally once it gets bigger.