Sesuvium portulacastrum
sea purslane
Tropical and subtropical coasts of the Americas
Overview
Sesuvium portulacastrum is a sprawling, succulent perennial in the fig-marigold family, forming dense mats of fleshy stems that trail along the ground and root at the nodes. The smooth, reddish to green stems reach 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) long, but the mat stays low, only 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall. The leaves are thick, fleshy, and lance-shaped to oblong, 0.5-2 inches (1.5-5 cm) long, storing water and tolerating salt. Small star-shaped flowers about 0.5 inch (12 mm) across open singly in the leaf axils; they are pink to pale purple inside and greenish outside, with no true petals but colored sepals. The plant grows on beaches, dunes, salt flats, mangrove edges, and other saline coastal ground around warm parts of the world. It tolerates salt spray, brackish water, and brief tidal flooding, and its rooting stems help bind and stabilize sand. Because it spreads quickly, it can overtake small plantings and form a continuous mat. In frost it is damaged or killed back, recovering in mild climates. The succulent foliage is edible and has been used as a coastal vegetable.
Native Range
Sesuvium portulacastrum grows on tropical and subtropical coastlines around the world and is native to warm coastal regions of the Americas, including the southern United States from Florida and the Gulf Coast through the Caribbean and into South America. It occupies beaches, dunes, salt marshes, and mangrove margins.Suggested Uses
Sesuvium portulacastrum is used for dune and shoreline stabilization, coastal and salt-tolerant landscaping, and as a trailing groundcover or container plant in warm regions. Its salt and drought tolerance suit seaside and reclaimed saline sites. It is also grown for erosion control and has been studied for removing salt and metals from soil and water.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 6"
Width/Spread2' - 4'
Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs through much of the warm season and nearly year-round in frost-free coastal areas. The small pink to purple flowers open one or a few at a time in the leaf axils, each lasting a short time. Bees and other small insects visit them. Small capsules follow, opening by a lid to release seeds that float and disperse in water.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink to purpleFoliage Description
green to reddishGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 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
Sesuvium portulacastrum grows in full sun and sandy, fast-draining, even saline soils, tolerating heat, drought, salt spray, and brackish water. Once established it needs little fresh water and stores moisture in its fleshy stems and leaves. It declines in shade and in cold, and frost cuts back or kills the top growth. New plants root easily from stem cuttings laid on moist sand. In containers a gritty, free-draining mix suits it, and it can trail over the edge. It grows in USDA zones 9 through 11 and is treated as an annual or brought indoors in colder areas.Pruning
Pruning is limited to trimming back the trailing stems to control the spread of the mat. Cut or broken stems root readily, so trimmings can be replanted or removed. Frost-damaged growth can be cut away once new shoots appear in spring.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons