What kind of plant is this?

I love hanging plants, but they tend to dry out quickly and I’ve had trouble with them dying during the hottest part of summer if I forget to water them 3x a week.


Then I bought this at Stop & Shop awhile back. Unlike every other hanging plant I’ve had, this one doesn’t die after 45 minutes if I forget to water it. In fact, I’ve been watering it about once a week and it looks great.  It appears to be some sort of succulent, which is probably why.  For the first time ever, I have a plant that now actually looks better than when I bought it.


1) So what kind of plant is it

2) How do I get it to survive over the winter, I’m assuming indoors

3) Can I make cuttings, or where can I buy more of these awesome plants?


Go to Cardinal Garden Center on Milltown Road in Springfield and ask the woman who has brown hair and is maybe in her 40s. She can answer any horticultural question you have, and is so lovely to deal with. And while you're there, check out the succulents they have -- some look like props from a science fiction movie. Very cool. (Though whether I can keep the one I got alive is another story.)


It's a portulaca. An annual. Grown from seed. It very often drops seeds (especially when planted in the ground) and comes back the following year. We sell them every year at the Maplewood Garden Club Plant Sale. Save the container, buy a pack at the sale, plant in succulent/cactus seed and you'll be good to go next year.


bigben_again said:
It's a portulaca. An annual. Grown from seed. It very often drops seeds (especially when planted in the ground) and comes back the following year. We sell them every year at the Maplewood Garden Club Plant Sale. Save the container, buy a pack at the sale, plant in succulent/cactus seed and you'll be good to go next year.

 Can you smoke it?


Morganna said:



 Can you smoke it?

 Maybe...if you want a headache.



So no point in bringing it indoors to overwinter? Just start fresh in the spring?


They're drought tolerant perennials. So you could bring them inside, but they're after desert conditions really, I suspect your living room won't resemble a winter desert cheese

Try an experiment, see what happens. If you need to start over, I've always had best success with Sun Jewels variety (mixed colours, and so bright).


Or, sign up for a space in the municipal greenhouse.  Bring it there in October, and pick it up next spring (the greenhouse has misting system, but it is not really watering the plants).  You might want to go and water it once every 2-3 weeks.


tomcat said:
Or, sign up for a space in the municipal greenhouse.  Bring it there in October, and pick it up next spring (the greenhouse has misting system, but it is not really watering the plants).  You might want to go and water it once every 2-3 weeks.

 Unfortunately I'm no longer local

I guess I'll hang them in my laundry room.  If they die, at least now I know what kind of plant they are thanks to all you wonderful plant people so I can replace them next year.  I can't stress enough how in love I am with these things.  Hanging plants dry out too quickly if there is a dry spell or a heat wave, and over the years I've had too many wilt or die if I didn't keep on top of them.  These are different, I'm watering them when I remember, about once a week or so, and they're doing great and look fabulous.  The perfect plant for a hanging container.  They do close up early in the day, long before sundown, but I'm okay with that.  Even when the flowers close the plant is still green and healthy so it still looks good, and I'm willing to put up with flowerless evenings since the plants are so perfect in every other aspect. 

And while I have everyone here... I have a lavender plant in a container.  I think it is the munstead variety, but can't remember for certain.  I know that normally lavender is winter hardy (there are lavender farms out here), but I also know that container plants are less so since they're more exposed to the elements.  I also like this one a lot since it looks beautiful AND the deer won't touch it.  Should I bring it inside for the winter?


I'll check with my neighbour tomorrow. She's from the UK, her dad was a rose breeder and they grew lavender with the roses cheese 

She's just shifted her amazing old lavender 'tree', so clearly she understands them!



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