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Pink Purslane

Portulaca pilosa

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in disturbed sandy soils, calcareous glades. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

65
Strong

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Bloom
May to October

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Leaves

Height: NC species account not read yet.

Spread and leaves: no source found yet.

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

Recorded in 22 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

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

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Open, thin-soil openings and rock on limestone, dolomite or other lime-rich rock, including cedar glades.

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)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Portulaca

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist 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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Portulacaceae
Flower color
Red, pink or purple

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Kiss Me Quick

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources