About
Sea purslane is the succulent carpet of coastal flats—fleshy leaves, reddish stems, and the casual ability to drink brackish water while your lettuce throws a fit. Young tips are eaten in some cuisines; ID carefully and respect local harvest rules near protected shores. Native-ish coastal vibe along both coasts; great for salty swales, living shoreline buffers, and “nothing else will grow here” beds. Full sun. Tolerates salt spray and periodic inundation; also handles garden irrigation if drainage exists—do not marinate it in stagnant muck. Cuttings root obnoxiously easily; seed where legal and ecologically appropriate. Snip young tips when sourcing is legal and clean—respect protected shoreline rules.
Permaculture Functions
- Edible: Sesuvium portulacastrum juicy tips carry clean brine crunch -- after you confirm jurisdiction allows picking and upstream water stays honest.
- Erosion Control: Succulent mats knit foredune sand and pond spoil berms against surge overwash -- that exposes raw substrate.
- Ground Cover: Red-stemmed carpets fill salty swales and mangrove skirts -- where inland sedums rot from humidity.
- Wildlife Attractor: Dense foliage shades amphipods and shoreline flies -- shorebirds probe the mat at falling tides for concentrated invertebrate prey.
Companion Planting
No companion data yet.
Also mentioned as companions:
- Beach Sunflower
Not yet profiled in PermiePortal
- Deep forest shade
- Pure freshwater bog without salt—competes poorly with aggressive aquatics
- Mangrove associates
- Salt-tolerant grasses