Comments on: Purslane: Not a Weed, but a Wonder Plant

By: Lori K

Lori K — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:36:34 +0000

I was so excited to learn that this “weed” is edible because I have a ton of it growing in my flower beds and I haven’t had the time to clean them up. For the last couple of days I have been incorporating it into my diet and plan to continue to eat it daily because of its high Omega 3 content. I have eaten the stem with the leaves attached. I hope it is okay to eat it this way. So far I haven’t felt sick from eating the stems. I don’t find the plant to have a strong flavor, but there is a little bit of tartness to it. Today I cut up tomato, onion, carrot, and mixed it with lettuce and sprigs of purslane, then I topped it with plain greek yogurt and a little red wine vinegar.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:30:27 +0000

Very Interesting… Thanks!!

By: Anet

Anet — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:01:08 +0000

I have pots full of this stuff. Here in Georgia they sell it as a ground cover but I knew I remember it being a weed in Michigan. So, are the old dried leaves good as well?

By: Mrs. Tumbles

Mrs. Tumbles — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:19:29 +0000

Very interesting. Am out of work sick for 3 months due to foot surgery. My husband has been tending the gardens for us this year. Am sending him out on a “hunt” tonight armed with the Purslane vs. spurge information. Hope we have some – absolutely can not wait to try!!!

By: Sevda

Sevda — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 02:10:42 +0000

I live in Cyprus and purslane grows freely in many gardens. It is well known and only the leaves are used in salads, mixed in with yoghurt (very tasty!), and also cooked with onions and fresh tomatoes. Try these, it has a unique taste. I also had no idea that it was so good in nutrition too!

By: James Lee

James Lee — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:48:02 +0000

To answer some of the questions above, purslane (Portulaca oleracea) seeds can be purchased from Nichols Garden Nursery, Inc in Albany, OR (https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/store/product-info.php?pid143.html).

Research has shown that the leaf has about double the amount of omega 3 per weight compared to the stem.

By: Bre

Bre — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:20:52 +0000

I have purslane growing rampantly in the garden. I’ve eaten a bit, it tastes rather bland to me, only lightly peppery. Also, my tongue feels ever so slightly numb. My dad hasn’t sprayed for spread any chemicals to my knowledge, outside of miracle grow. The leaves and stems are succulent, so I know it is purslane, but I’m just baffled about the numbness. Could it be some of the “medicinal” qualities the plant has to offer?

By: paul a carter

paul a carter — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:44:30 +0000

THIS IS GREAT! I started seeing this just a few times in my garden in the past and I would pull it before it would grow too large. But then this year, I greatly expanded my garden to eat healthier, saw the plant and thought well it looks nice I’ll let it grow transplant it to another part of my flower beds. Some friends from another country were over for a cook out and told me they would eat purslane back home they used a diffirent french word for it. I googled found your site. I’m very glad I let the plant grow. It must be true “even a blind squirrel can find a nut” Thanks for the great site and the recipes.

By: Yrsa

Yrsa — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:49:16 +0000

Has anyone tried to juice the purslane? Wonder if it would be too strong? Maybe with carrots?

By: Candi

Candi — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:04:10 +0000

People have asked about purchasing purslane seeds; I’ve never seen them but they may be available somewhere on the internet. And someone else mentioned cooking the seeds like porridge – DON’T! The seeds are very similar in size & color to poppy seeds; not a good prospect for making a cereal, plus they may BE like poppy seeds in that they need to be ground before ingesting or it’s like eating shards of glass & can seriously hurt you. Plus, you’d need a ton of them for a serving because they’re so small. As for acquiring the seeds, you harvest them; each flower produces hundreds. I have some from last season so let me know if anyone wants some. Purslane is wonderful in stir-fry, love it! Or just grazing as I’m taking a walk…and it’s almost impossible to kill so if you do find seeds or a plant, whether you’re growing them in a pot or a plot, you’ll have them forever. Very easy to grow indoors; they’re a succulent that doesn’t require full sun & very little water. They’ll let you know when they’re thirsty; just don’t overwater.