Common purslane is an annual that grows rapidly in spring and summer. It thrives under dry conditions but also competes well in irrigated situations. Plants prefer loose, nutrient-rich, sandy soil. The mature plant may form a mat or grow up to a foot tall. The plant branches at the base and along the stems.
Leaves are very succulent and often tinged red.
Small yellow flowers are born singly or in clusters of two or three in stem axils or at tips of stems. Flowers usually open only on sunny mornings. Purslane seeds are very tiny and produced in abundance. Broadleaf ID illustration. The Regents of the University of California.