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Red Sandspurry

Red Sandspurry

Spergularia rubra

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How common: Common

Alien species

Red Sandspurry is a tiny, low plant with bright pink to red starry flowers. It grows on open sandy, gravelly or stony ground, often in places people use and disturb such as paths and yards. It is widespread in much of Europe and has spread to other parts of the world.

Did you know?

  • It tolerates heavy foot traffic and can cover patches of bare ground.
  • Unlike many seashore spurreys, its leaves are not thick or juicy.

About the species

Identification

A one- or two‑year plant only 5–15 cm tall, with creeping to rising stems that are often slightly rough and branch from the leaf joints. Leaves are narrow, often grey‑green, with a sharp tip and not thick or juicy. Flowers are small, pink to red, with five petals about as long as or shorter than the five green outer parts around them. The dry fruit is tiny and splits into three. Compared with similar seashore spurreys, this species has non‑fleshy leaves. Flowers in Finland from July to September.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

yards and roadsides

Flowering

Jul–Sep

About the habitat

Open, dry and often disturbed ground: yards, paths, dry verges, sandy or gravelly places, rocky outcrops and streets; sometimes near shores. Common in southern and central Finland, becoming rarer toward the north.

Sources

Photo: Javier martin, Public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spergularia rubra Closeup SierraMadrona.jpg

Text: Pinkka: IPS-153 Flora of Subarctic Europe - Saxifraga-Subularia, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38103

Text: Pinkka: IPS-177 Fennoscandian flora - Sagina-Symphytum, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38103

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punasolmukki

See also