Plant in full sun to part shade in a well-drained soil with only occasional irrigation. It is often listed as hardy to USDA Zone 8 (10-20° F) but we are not in a climate that can test this, however we have heard from others that it gets damaged at around 18° F and does not recover well, so we have raised its hardiness level to 15-20° F but note that it is sometimes planted as an annual in cooler climates. This attractive plant has long been known as Calandrinia grandiflora but in more recent times the name Cistanthe has been reinstated for many New World species formerly placed in the genera Calandrinia. Cistanthe grandiflora is a widespread polymorphic species found in north central to central Chile. The name for the genus is presumed to have originated from the genus name Cistus and the Greek word 'anthos' meaning "flower" in reference to the flowers resembling those of the Rockrose (Cistus sp.) with the specific epithet referring to its large flowers. We first received Cistanthe grandiflora, under the name Callandrinia grandiflora from Mr. John Bleck in 1991 and offered it in our 1993 and 1994 catalogs. While nice this form struggled to persist in the garden. In 2004 we received a much more robust form that Dave Bernstein at Cactus Ranch called 'Jazz Time' and we have been growing this very nice selection of the species ever since. In the nursery trade this plant is often still sold as Callandrinia grandiflora and we have also seen the name Calandrinia spectabilis applied to this same plant. In Dr. Donna Ford-Werntz and Iris Perata's treatment of the Portulaceae in The Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons Springer Press 2002 Calandrinia spectabilis is a name noted as having unresolved application but referred to the genus Cistanthe and current botanical databases list it as a synonym for Cistanthe grandiflora. 

The information about Cistanthe grandiflora 'Jazz Time' that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.