Marsh Seedbox (Water Purslane)

What it looks like

Forms flat, spreading mats. Leaves are smooth, shiny and oval to lance-shaped, in opposite pairs along trailing reddish stems that root wherever they touch wet ground. The flowers are tiny and easy to miss: greenish, with no petals, tucked right where the leaves meet the stem.

Often mistaken for: Virginia buttonweed (rough, hairy leaves and white star flowers) and common periwinkle (thicker, leathery evergreen leaves and purple flowers)

When it shows up in the Triangle

Grows and spreads from late spring into fall, and stays green through mild Raleigh winters in wet spots.

Where you’ll see it

Low spots, drainage paths, heavily shaded corners and areas that stay wet from sprinklers or runoff. It often grows alongside pennywort and other moisture-loving weeds.

What you can do

• Find out why the spot stays wet: sprinklers, a downspout, low ground or heavy shade
• Water less often where it grows. It can't hold on once the soil dries out between waterings
• Let more light in by thinning low branches if you can
• Pull small patches, getting the rooted stems, and bag them
• In spots that will always be wet and shaded, a bed or mulch may work better than grass