Common Purslane

On some rocks along side the trail, Rocke and Sylvia spotted this plant. If it had not been for Sylvia, we would never have known what the name of this plant was. Sylvia worked at a greenhouse for several years and learned a lot about plants.

Scientific Name: Portulaca oleracea (Family Portulacaceae)

Common purslane is an annual that grows rapidly in spring and summer. It thrives under dry conditions but also competes well in irrigated situations. Plants prefer loose, nutrient-rich, sandy soil. The mature plant may form a mat or grow up to a foot tall. The plant branches at the base and along the stems. Leaves are very succulent, often tinged red, and wedge-shaped. They are opposite or alternate along the stem and are without petioles. Small yellow flowers are born singly or in clusters of two or three in stem axils or at tips of stems. Flowers usually open only on sunny mornings. Purslane seeds are very tiny and produced in abundance.