Plant Database
Rock Purslane
Cistanthe grandiflora, Calandrinia (Cistanthe) spectabilis
Cistanthe grandiflora (syn. Calandrinia spectabilis) is a striking, succulent perennial prized for its brilliant, satiny magenta flowers and drought-tolerant, architectural form. Native to Chile, this clump-forming plant produces a low mound of fleshy, spoon-shaped, gray-green to blue-green leaves that form an attractive rosette. From late spring through summer, and often into fall, it sends up tall, slender, wiry stems (to 2-3 feet) bearing large, cup-shaped, vivid magenta to purplish-pink flowers with prominent yellow stamens. Each flower lasts only a day, but the plant produces a continuous succession of blooms over many weeks. Remarkably heat and drought tolerant, it is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, succulent gardens, coastal plantings, containers, and sunny borders with well-drained soil.