Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a common garden “weed” and incredibly nutrient-dense. It also has an incredibly satisfying crunch and slightly lemony flavor making in one of my top wild edible picks for salads. It’s excellent raw in salads or straight out of the garden.

Purslane originated from the Middle East. It is widely consumed in India and other countries. It does well in dry, hot climates.

The plant can easily be identified by looking at the reddish-brown, round stems, and rubbery, rounded leaves. It grows flat along the ground. The yellow and small flowers turn into seed pods that release black seeds.

Identification

Leaf: Shiny, round green leaves with a rubbery feel to them.

Flower: The weedy type of purslane has a yellow flower but this is an ornamental one with red flowers with yellow centers.

Stem: Round with an orangy or reddish look

Habitat: Common in gardens. Grows well in open, sunny areas such as fields, gardens, gravel, and roadsides. 

Season: It’s available early summer to late fall. 

Nutritional Content

Purslane has 6 times more vitamin E than spinach and 7 times more betacarotene than carrots. It also is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats can help lower cholesterol, support heart health, and prevent strokes and heart attacks. They may also help reduce the risk of dementia and some types of cancer.

Edible Uses

I prefer to eat this plant raw straight from the garden or in a salad mixed with other wild greens or cucumbers and tomatoes. Since it has an amazing crunch, it’s also great at a lettuce substitute on sandwiches or burgers. It can also be sauteed and added to smoothies to boost your vitamin intake. It can also be frozen for later use.

Poisonous Look-Alikes

Spurge – This is also a common garden weed, has reddish round stems, and round leaves and grows close to the ground. The best way to tell them apart is by breaking the stem it oozes white, it is spurge.

Interesting Fun Fact

P. oleracea is one of the very few plants able to utilize both CAM and C4 photosynthesis, for a long time believed to be incompatible with each other despite biochemical similarities. P. oleracea can switch from C4 to CAM pathways during a drought, allowing to be a great drought plant (as in, it’s a great food source in a climate change world and in parts of the world that experience mild to severe droughts.)