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Paraguayan Purslane

Portulaca amilis

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in sandy fields, lawns, and other dry, sandy, disturbed habitats. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 59%

Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist

At a glance

Bloom
May to September

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 1 Louisiana parish.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

16CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Portulaca

  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
  • Feltia repletaReplete Dart
  • Hellula rogatalisCabbage Webworm
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Metaponpneumata rogenhoferiMetaponpneumata Moth, Rogenhofer's Sallow
  • Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
Show all 16
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
  • Coleophora texanella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
7BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Portulaca

  • Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
  • Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
  • Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Portulacaceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankGNR
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources