I just found out about Purslane (plant/weed)

[Momhardatwork]

My husband and I have been doing research on vegetables and plants that are packed with many vitamins and minerals but yet you don't need to eat a lot of them. We discovered that Purslane is one of them. This plant/weed is packed with Omega 3-fatty acids, and some would classify it as an herb. It is packed with Vitamin A, C, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, iron, magnesium, and more. It grows very easily. Here, we see it growing through the sidewalk and asphalt cracks. I plucked some from a flower bed yesterday just to experiment how it would do indoors in a sunny area of my home. Supposedly it also flowers. Anyone seen it in your area?

 

[TDolce]

I had a short-lived obsession with edible weeds (if you can't beat 'em, eat 'em!) and purslane was my favorite because of the nutritional value. I didn't care for the texture, but it might be more pleasing when mixed with other greens or foods. I did learn that it supposedly is used in France as salad ingredient. One warning if picking it for eating: it resembles spurge, which is toxic. It doesn't take long to easily see the differences between the two plants.
It has a pretty little flower. If you want this succulent to grow and fill in a dry area, just pull some up and put it in the area you wish to fill. Because it is a succulent, it holds water and can make seeds to produce more plants. If you don't want more purslane, be sure to dispose of the plant so that it isn't able to re-seed. Although we had plenty of rain in this area (Illinois, USA) the purslane still made its appearance. In the dry summers when the grass dies back, it is very pretty. It may be considered a weed, but I enjoy it as a no mow landscaping plant that serves a second purpose as a healthy food.
I hadn't considered planting it indoors to add to my salad greens which I plan to bring in and continue using as cold weather approaches. Let me know how it does indoors for you.

 

[ACSAPA]

I've read about purslane before and wanted to try it, but there are weeds around here that look similar to it and I don't know how to tell them apart yet.
Maybe if I see a pic online of a purslane flower, I'll have an easier time identifying it.

 

[Pat]

This is a new plant to me. It does sound like one I should get to know better for the good healthy benefits it can provide. I did get a picture when I did a quick search, it looks similar to the Jade Plant.

 

[gata montes]

As Purslane is a weed that I'm very familiar with - as it grows in such abundance throughout the year where I live - that it could almost be classed as invasive - hopefully the following information will help those who are not familiar with it.

Portulaca Oleracea commonly known as Purslane belongs to the Portulacaceae plant family and although an edibile weed that seems to grow wild almost everywhere - its closely related to the succulent plant Portulaca Grandiflora that many of us grow for stunning summer color.

However although Portulaca Oleracea does bloom - unlike the cultivated Portulaca Grandiflora that comes in a wide variety of colors - Purslane flowers are always yellow and look like this

 

[Momhardatwork]

Thanks so much to all for the feedback and for the excellent pix. I definitely do not want to join the ranks of those who have made themselves sick from mistakenly eating something that looks similar to a plant or herb that is taken for health benefits. I will have to observe if the plant that I have is truly Purslane before I begin to incorporate it into me and my familys' diet. Hopefully I will get yellow flowers.

 

[claudine]

I think I saw this plant before but I had no idea that it's edible and so healthy. It's nice to learn something new. I always say that some weeds are great!

 

[LouisFerdinand]

Facts

 

[roadrunner]

I just ate some last night in a salad I made from a bunch of stuff in my yard. Good thing I like it, because It's a prolific seed producer and there's no way I could get rid of it, even with all the seeds I end up eating in my salad -- I don't purposefully add them in my salad, you just can't avoid them.

P.S. Yes, I know this is a really old thread....

 

[Marck]

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is much older than this thread. The information is timeless, at least in comparison to human lifespans.