Scientific Name:
Portulaca oleracea
Pronunciation:
por-tew-LAK-uh awl-lur-RAY-see-uh
Common Name:
purslane
Family Name:
Portulacaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (true), Succulent or Cacti, Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Leaves succulent, clustered at nodes; grows in dry areas; flowers about 2cm wide with with 5 overlapping yellow petals.
Habit:
Horizontal, Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
< 0.1m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
(Naturalized In BC)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Hanging basket, Urban agriculture, Wildlife food
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Succulent
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Obovate
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Green, Black
Fruiting Time:
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant,
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Succulent leaves, Succulent stems
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
(Drought tolerant)
