Ludwigia palustris
water purslane
Cosmopolitan, Northern Hemisphere and beyond
Overview
Ludwigia palustris is a creeping, semi-aquatic perennial of pond margins, ditches, and slow water, rooting at the nodes and trailing across mud or floating in shallow water. Stems are 4-20 inches (10-50 cm) long, often flushed red, and carry paired oval to elliptic leaves 0.4-1.5 inches (1-4 cm) long that turn bronze-red in bright light. Submerged growth is softer and greener than the firmer reddish growth above water. Small flowers without obvious petals form singly in the leaf axils through summer, followed by four-sided capsules. The species spreads quickly by rooting stems and can form dense mats over still water, crowding out slower plants and impeding flow in ditches. It occurs across much of the world and is grown in aquariums and pond plantings for its red foliage. Out of water it sprawls as a low groundcover in saturated soil. It needs constant moisture and fails in dry ground.
Native Range
Native across temperate and tropical regions of North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, growing in shallow fresh water, marshes, ditches, and muddy shorelines.Suggested Uses
Grown in pond margins, bog gardens, and aquariums for its red, node-rooting foliage. Used to cover mud at water edges and to soften the transition between water and bank. Its rapid spread and constant-moisture demand restrict its use in mixed or drier plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 6"
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years
Bloom Information
Inconspicuous flowers form in the leaf axils through summer, roughly June through September. Each flower is small and lacks the showy petals of its yellow-flowered relatives, often going unnoticed. Small insects and self-pollination set the four-sided seed capsules.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green to bronze-redGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Constant moisture and full sun to part shade suit this semi-aquatic plant, which roots in saturated soil, shallow water, or pond margins. It tolerates a soil pH from about 6.0 to 7.5 and grows in still or slow-moving water up to a few inches deep. Bright light deepens the red leaf color, while shade keeps growth green and lax. Vigorous node-rooting stems mat quickly and need confinement in small ponds. The plant dies back in cold winters and regrows from rooted stems and seed. It fails entirely in soil that dries out.Pruning
Trailing stems can be thinned or pulled at any time to limit spread across water. Cut fragments root readily, so removed pieces are taken off site. No seasonal pruning is required.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons