Birdeye pearlwort (Sagina procumbens), also known as pearlwort, belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. It is a low-growing, moss-like plant that typically behaves as a spreading cool-season annual. However, under favorable conditions, it can also persist as a short-lived perennial. This plant often forms small mounds in nursery containers, though it can also spread out as a prostrate mat, especially in gravelly areas surrounding the containers.
It thrives in environments with consistent moisture, such as propagation benches, flats, and greenhouse floors, where high humidity and regular watering provide ideal growth conditions. In terms of habitat, pearlwort is commonly found in disturbed areas near human habitation, including lawns, roadsides, gardens, seaside cliffs, and pond edges. It can also grow in wetland communities and at the margins of ponds and lakes. Additionally, Birdseye pearlwort has been documented as an occasional weed in lawns and container-grown ornamental plants. In certain ecosystems, such as the subantarctic Marion Island, this species has even been shown to dominate and alter vegetative compositions following past disturbances.
Its adaptability to moist conditions makes it particularly troublesome in container production, where it can quickly establish and persist both in greenhouse containers and the surrounding gravel areas. Its resilience and ease of spread have created challenges for the growers, as it competes with cultivated plants for resources and space.
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