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Summary
Sesuvium portulacastrum,
Sea purslane is a highly nutritious plant valued for its edible leaves, which are eaten raw or cooked and considered an excellent vegetable. The leaves have a succulent texture with a salty and slightly sour flavour reminiscent of sorrel or oxalis. The leaves’ high salt content often requires repeated boiling in fresh water to make them palatable or are pickled. Sea purslane is a good source of vitamin C, and it is harvested in many parts of the world as a wild vegetable and sold in local markets.
Sea purslane is cultivated as a ground cover to prevent erosion, particularly in coastal dune areas. It is a pioneer species that colonises sand, growing well on beaches, dunes, and other salty, well-drained soils. It has potential applications in phytoremediation for heavy metal pollution sites, helping to detoxify and stabilise contaminated soils. In the United Arab Emirates, it is also used as a revegetation plant for salty areas.
Sea purslane is a hardy, low-maintenance plant that thrives in well-drained, sandy soils. It prefers a sunny position and tolerates both acidic and alkaline conditions. The plant is exceptionally tolerant of salty environments and can grow in coastal areas with high salinity. Once established, sea purslane is also highly drought-tolerant, requiring little to no irrigation or fertiliser.
Sea purslane is native to numerous coastal and island areas across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, including the Canary Islands, Madagascar, and Western Australia.
Harvesting: summer when the leaves are young and tender.
Physical Characteristics
Sesuvium portulacastrum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. It is in flower from May to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
nomenclatural synonym:(Portulacaceae) Portulaca portulacastrum
Plant Habitats
Cultivated Beds;
Edible Uses
Leaves - raw or cooked[301, 398]. An excellent vegetable[193]. A salty flavour and succulent texture[301]. The leaves have the acidulous flavour of sorrel (Rumex spp. And Oxalis spp.)[299]. Because they are very salty, they need repeated boiling in fresh water[299]. They can also be pickled[301
]. A good source of vitamin C[301]. The plant is harvested from the wild in many countries of the world and eaten as a vegetable[299
]. It is sometimes sold in local markets[398
].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
The plant is used as a haemostatic. A decoction of the plant is considered the best antidote for stings of venomous fish; it should be applied externally for a long time[299
].
The leaves are said to be antiscorbutic[299
].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Agroforestry uses: Sea Purslane is used for erosion control and as a ground cover in coastal areas. It can also serve as a source of food for some wildlife. The plant is sometimes cultivated as a ground cover to prevent erosion in dune vegetation[299
, 398
]. A pioneer sand-colonising plant that grows on the upper beach and seaward slope of the frontal dune or beach ridge. It traps and holds wind-blown sand and tends to form small ridges or mounds. It does not survive complete burial under wind-blown sand. It also grows well in more protected littoral locations, and it can be included in dune revegetation programmes[299]. Pollution control: potential for phytoremediation in heavy metal polluted sites. Ornamental groundcover. Revegetator for salty areas in the United Arab Emirates. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen:
Yes – Sea purslane produces flowers that attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, providing nectar and pollen.
2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting):
Yes – The leaves are edible for humans and can also be consumed by various wildlife. The plant can offer some shelter, but it is not primarily a nesting site for birds.
3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover):
Yes – Sea purslane can provide habitat for invertebrates, particularly in coastal or sandy areas. Its dense growth can offer some cover and potential overwintering sites.
4. Pest Confuser (Smell):
Yes – The plant’s distinct aroma may deter certain pests, contributing to pest management in gardens.
Special Uses
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
Sea purslane is a suberect, prostrate or creeping, succulent, perennial herb growing up to 30cm tall[299
]. The thick stems form roots at the nodes[299
]. Prefers a sunny position in well-drained sandy soil[299
]. The plant tolerates acidic and alkaline soils[299
]. Very tolerant of salty conditions[299
]. Established plants are very drought-tolerant [299
]. A low-maintenance plant, it needs no irrigation or fertilizer and serious diseases or pests are not known[299
].
Plants can become troublesome weeds in rice fields[398
].
Plants flower and fruit all year round[299
]. Each flower opens for only a few hours per day[299
]. It is typically harvested in summer, from June to August (Northern Hemisphere), when the leaves are young and tender.
Sea Purslane usually flowers in summer, around June to August (Northern Hemisphere). Sea Purslane is a fast-growing plant that can quickly establish and spread in suitable conditions, especially in sandy or coastal soils. Sea Purslane is self-fertile.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
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Plant Propagation
Seed. Rooted stem cuttings.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Sea-purslane, Shoreline Sea-purslane, Akulikuli, Beldroega-da-praia, Bossaha, Burunque, Cenicilla, Dampalit, Dhapa, Enhade, Erwi, Gelang laut, Gelang pasir, Haichau, Jadu palang, Krokot, Lonumagoo, Meerportulak, Nuntashak, Pourpier de mer, Sagu sagu, Samphire, Sepit-sepit, Sepit, Sesepit, Strandpostelein, Taraumpalit, Te boi, Uondgi, Van kiru valai, Vangarreddi kura, Vungaravasee, Vungaravasi. [1-4]
Native Range
TEMPERATE ASIA: China (Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Hainan Sheng), Taiwan TROPICAL ASIA: India, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas), Mexico (Baja, Sonora, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán) SOUTHERN AMERICA: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil (Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Santa Catarina), Ecuador (Galápagos, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabí), Peru (Arequipa, Ica, La Libertad, Lima, Piura, Tacna, Tumbes), Argentina (Buenos Aires, Chaco, Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Río Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Tucumán), Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay PACIFIC: United States (Hawaii), Micronesia, Marshall Islands, United States (Guam), Fiji AUSTRALASIA: Australia (Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory) AFRICA: Cabo Verde, Spain (Canarias), Morocco, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Namibia
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Plants can become troublesome weeds in rice fields[398
].
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Shoreline Purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Sesuvium portulacastrum is listed as Least Concern.
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
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