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Native Plant Database

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Portulaca oleracea (Common purslane)
Bruso, George H.

Portulaca oleracea L.

Common Purslane, Little hogweed

Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)

Synonyms: Portulaca oleracea ssp. nitida

USDA Symbol: pool

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A sprawling plant with smooth, thick, fleshy, reddish stems and small, pale to often dark or deep yellow flowers, solitary or in small rounded clusters.

This annual species is a variable worldwide weed found in tropical and warm, temperate regions. Its leaves and stems were used as a source of food in India and Persia more than 2,000 years ago, and the plant has a long history of use in the Americas as a potherb and a medicinal plant, probably even prior to the first arrival of Europeans. It has an exceptionally high iron content. Spanish-Americans now call it Verdolaga and use it with tomatoes, onions, and various seasonings. The genus name may be derived from portula (little gate), referring to the lid on the fruit capsule. Noted not for its beauty but for its ubiquity, this plant grows rapidly and produces thousands of tiny black seeds. If pulled and left as mulch, it will live on stored water and food and, even with roots turned upward, will continue to mature seeds. The flowers open only in sunlight.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , HI , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: NB
Native Distribution: Throughout much of North America, except far north.
Native Habitat: Open places, especially in disturbed soil; frequently garden weed.
USDA Native Status: L48(I), HI(I), PR(I), VI(I), CAN(N)

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0896 Collected Jun 24, 1994 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Portulaca oleracea in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Portulaca oleracea in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Portulaca oleracea

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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