This article on growing purslane is part of our green series of the month. To read the rest of the articles in the series, click here.
I checked out seasonal vegetables at the farmers market a few years ago. I noticed a lovely display of succulents that looked like the weeds I pulled from the garden last week with my wheelbarrow.
It sells for $6 a pound and people are waiting in line. Well, I bought a full bag and took it home to compare with the stuff that engulfed my garden bed. Yes – an exact match!
After that, I did more research and found that the weed – oops, I meant “green” – was purslane. From that moment on, I stopped weeding and started eating it – chopped salads, sautéed with other veggies, pureed in smoothies, mixed with bean dishes, etc.
cargo on purslane
When I researched purslane – an easy plant that is often mistaken for a weed – I found it to be everything I wanted, but I never could have imagined it would exist.
1. It’s the Solar System’s Omega-3 Vegetable Champion
as i am reading eat weed website:
Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant source in the solar system.
Plus, it contains not only any omega-3s, but also eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. EPA omega-3 usually comes from fish. Purslane is one of the few vegetarian sources of this omega-3.
2. Rich in vitamins
The omega-3 content is a good reason to eat this stuff, even if it has nothing else beneficial. However, it is also a veritable vitamin powerhouse.
A 100-gram, 16-calorie serving contains 44% of your daily vitamin A, 35% of vitamin C, 25% of iron, 17% of magnesium, and over 10% of potassium and copper. It also contains many other anti-inflammatory substances, such as two betaine alkaloid pigments, the reddish beta-anthocyanin and the yellow beta-xanthin.
3. It looks like one. . . Uh. . . weeds
To say that purslane is easy to grow is an understatement. This stuff is difficult to grow in climates with hot summers (i.e. USDA plant hardiness zones 6-11). It occurs anywhere there is soil and good drainage. It’s a succulent that will survive drought conditions better than any other green you’d consider growing in your garden. (However, leaves will yield better with enough water.)
Easy to harvest: simply cut around the canopy or tear from the ground. You can start from seed or have it reseed each year.
4. Easy to forage
Even if you don’t have a garden, as soon as temperatures start to warm up in late spring and summer, you’ll find these things growing in cultivated fields or disturbed soil. If you don’t have a garden of your own, simply offer your “weeding” services to a friend who has a garden in exchange for purslane.
I believe purslane tastes better when grown in someone else’s garden. So even if you have your own, you may need to . . . um. .. “borrowing” some from your neighbors to make one of my favorite purslane recipes, purslane pesto.
Recipe: Picked Purslane Pesto
If you don’t already have enough purslane in your garden, steal it (eg, steal) some from someone who did that or somewhere. I love that it’s sold at farmers markets – but it’s so easy to get it for free, why not look for it yourself?
Also, purslane harvested in the morning was more sour than purslane harvested in the evening. This is because plants produce malic acid overnight, which is then converted to glucose during the day. If possible, harvest purslane between afternoon and dusk for the best flavor.
If you happen to find purslane off the beaten track, do as Marjory did when she was picking strawberries (avoid direct contact with the plant’s leaves, though!). Purslane absorbs a lot of nutrients from the soil, so putting some back at harvest is a great way to express gratitude.
read more: “What did you do to those Farkleberries?! (Homestead Foundation)”
Now, back to our regularly scheduled recipes:
raw material
- 2 cups chopped purslane
- 2-4 cloves garlic (according to your taste)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sunflower seed flesh
- salt and pepper to taste
Throw it all into the food processor and blend it a few times until you like the consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the garlic, purslane, and sunflower seeds before mixing with the oil.
Optional: You can also add 1/4 cup shredded or powdered Parmesan cheese and a little extra oil to make a dairy pesto.
Dip it with sliced veggies, bread or crackers. Use it as a pasta sauce or salad dressing. Use pizza instead of ketchup. Fold it into an omelet. and more! It has an almost lemony flavor that adds sparkle to many dishes.
read more: “13+ weeds that taste great on pizza (with recipes!)”
Some Notes About Purslane
Purslane is sometimes called little hogweed (not to be confused with the poisonous plant known as giant hogweed). Since I personally can’t get enough of these things, it makes me a pig. So I understand the reference. However, the name also has another meaning. This plant can take up nutrients in your garden and take up space you dedicate to other plants.
1. It’s a weed
Purslane can take over a carrot bed in a few days. It can even compete with sweet potato vines. (Trust me!)
So, if you’re encouraging it in your garden, you’ll want to make sure to keep up with its harvest so your other cultivated vegetables don’t have to compete for nutrients.
2. It is a powerful herb
Purslane has a long history as a medicinal material. It may help boost the immune system, fight depression, treat high blood pressure, reduce fever, relieve cough, and relieve urinary tract infections. It can also be used topically on burns, hemorrhoids, and eczema.
However, with great power comes great responsibility. Too much good is still too much.
Pregnant women may want to avoid this as it is said to cause contractions. Also, like foods like spinach and broccoli, it contains oxalic acid, which can be harmful to the liver and kidneys in some people.
Planting Purslane
This plant is considered a tender perennial in USDA zone 10 or above. In temperate climates, it is considered a self-seeding annual.
It generally does not grow well in cool climates (i.e. USDA plant hardiness zone 5 or below) without protection such as a hoop house. It loves hot weather and survives drought conditions better than other hot weather vegetables.
Although purslane is pretty much a self-growing seed, if you want to grow it into a green plant, there are a few tricks you can use to increase yield and optimize flavor.
soil preparation
Purslane is not fussy about soil type. However, it does get the largest, tastiest, and succulent leaves when grown in good garden soil with some organic matter and nutrients.
It is also most productive in soils with a pH range of 5.5-7.0. This is about the same range as most grown vegetables need, so giving it a little space in your existing garden bed works well.
factory start
Although purslane is technically considered an invasive weed (industrial farmers), intentionally growing it is actually a bit tricky. It likes to grow when and where it likes to grow, and doesn’t always follow the rules laid out in your home garden. It also really only germinates well in warm temperatures and plenty of light.
Fortunately, there are a few different techniques you can use to start purslane depending on your conditions.
Use packaged seeds
As a weed, purslane seeds are designed to remain dormant in winter and germinate again when soil temperatures warm. If you’re starting with packaged seeds, keep them in the refrigerator for a few weeks before planting to “layer” the seeds.
Purslane that overwintered in soil also seemed to germinate only if the soil temperature remained consistently at least 70ºF. So planting when your average daily soil temperature is in that range will help with germination speed.
Purslane seeds are best germinated on the surface of the soil, or covered with only a small amount of soil to hold them in place. Sprinkle lightly in soil and water for best results.
In my experience, purslane seeds are better watered every other day than every day before germination. The cycle of moisture and drying seems to help encourage the seeds to germinate faster.
Once the seedlings are established, water only when you don’t have at least 1/2 inch of rain. Purslane seedlings will spread and spread faster if not overwatered. Overwatering can seriously stunt plant growth (as I found out during this year’s record summer rains).
Transplant Voluntary Purslane
If you already have purslane growing in your garden, the easiest way to grow purslane where you want it is to dig it up and transplant it. When transplanting, water immediately after planting and keep the soil moist until it starts growing again. You may die from transplant shock, but after a few days of acclimatizing to the new location, the plants usually rejuvenate and begin to spread.
You can also layer purslane by covering one of the junctions between the leaves with soil and letting it re-root. You can then leave the parent plant in place and detach the new plant to move to an alternate location.
Plant Care and Harvest
Purslane grows poorly in partially shaded areas. For best results, aim for a full sun location with at least 6-8 hours of direct bright light.
Purslane does not require much care once established. Deep watering every other week during droughts will improve leaf yield. Harvest also seems to encourage spread. So, come and cut often.
Purslane Varieties
Believe it or not, there are hundreds of species of purslane. Unfortunately, most of them are ornamental, not edible. Edible purslane is often referred to as “common” or “wild” purslane (purslane). It has small yellow flowers and reddish stems.
Seed retailers may also offer improved varieties of purslane, which have greener stems and greater leaf mass than regular or wild purslane. These are often referred to as “golden purslane” or contain the word gold in the description.
Unconventional Planting Tips for the Adventurous Gardener
My favorite way to grow purslane is to let my first year purslane grow anywhere. Then, in late summer or fall, I prepare my purslane beds with organic matter for next year. I cut the tops of the plants from the existing beds (the seed heads were mostly intact) and laid them on top of the intended location for next year.
Plant parts break down into beds of organic matter. Seeds stratify naturally and are ready to germinate the following year. I usually grow lettuce in the same bed and spread the seeds over the soil in the fall and early spring. Then, as the lettuce crop starts to time out, the purslane will naturally take over.
Purslane plants can produce thousands to hundreds of thousands of seeds. Also, the seeds can survive in the soil for several years. This means that when you use this method, you run the risk of purslane showing up in your growing beds when you don’t want it.
In my experience, though, I usually only volunteer on previously used beds. I think it’s because I pile up a few inches of compost every year. Since seeds germinate better in the light, only a few brave ones are actually able to germinate through my compost layer. And, if they do, I pull them out by the roots and eat them!
What do you think?
Is this omega-3 rich food a weed or a superfood? What do you think about growing it (intentionally) in your garden? Share your thoughts using the comments section below.
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This is an updated version of an article originally published on August 21, 2018. Authors may not be able to respond to comments at this time, but we encourage our community members to get involved, share their experiences and answer questions!
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Tasha Greer is a regular contributor to The Grow Network and co-author of several eBooks with Marjory Wildcraft.author “Grow Your Own Spice” (December 2020), she also blogs for MorningChores.com and Mother Earth News.For more tips on homestead and herb and spice gardening, follow Tasha at Simplestead.com.
