Silkcotton purslane

Portulaca halimoides

Found in sandy or gravelly areas; eastwards as a waif along railroad (Reed 1964). Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 18%

Soil moisture: Average to wet

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At a glance

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

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

Recorded in 1 Virginia county.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

14CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Portulaca

Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller

Show all 14

Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall 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: Family not recorded

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

Conservation status

Virginia rank	Not available
Global rank	Not available
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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Sources