Birdseye Pearlwort

Caryophyllaceae

LIFE FORM: Perennial

NATIVITY: Eurasia

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS:

A mat forming plant seldom over an inch tall; thin, bright green leaves have a whorled appearance; evergreen in mild winters.

FLOWERS:

Inconspicuous green flowers throughout the summer.

FRUIT/DISPERSAL AGENTS:

Self-sows readily; creeping branches root at the nodes.

ECOLOGICAL PREFERENCE:

An inconspicuous weed that is tolerant of compacted soil and salt tolerant. Prefers trampled lawns in public parks; vacant lots and rubble dump sites; small-scale pavement openings (tree pits) and cracks; rock outcrops and stone walls; unmowed highway banks and median strips with frequent salt applications.

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION:

Disturbance-adapted colonizer.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

This plant is most conspicuous in late fall because it is still green.