Herb: Rose Moss


Latin name: Portulaca grandiflora


Family: Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)



Medicinal use of Rose Moss:

The entire plant is depurative. It is used in the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver with ascites, swelling and pain in the pharynx. The fresh juice of the leaves and stems is applied externally as a lotion to snake and insect bites, burns, scalds and eczema.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Roadsides and waste places in Europe.

Edible parts of Rose Moss:

Leaves - raw or cooked. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used in soups etc, or can be added to cereals. The seed is very small and fiddly to utilize. Root - cooked.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse, pricking out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though the plants will not grow so large this way.

Cultivation of Rose Moss:

Roadsides and waste places in Europe.

Known hazards of Portulaca grandiflora:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.