Photos of spurge can be seen at Wikimedia Commons. very delicious. Hopen, Herbert J., Spring, 1972, “Common Purslane-A Problem in Gardens and Horticultural Crops”, Illinois Research, University of … Great lens! Click on the image for a larger view, description, and customer reviews on Amazon. Tiny and yellow with 5 petals, single or in small clusters. All over the USA! The foolproof way to differentiate between the two is by breaking a stem. It's a sturdy one, growing in huge patches at the edges of yards and sidewalks, a treasure to urban foragers. I love it in salads. Stephanie Tietjen from Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 22, 2012: It was growing in my yard and I transplanted it to pots. They have a slightly sour edge (not as strong as wood sorrel) and a hint of a mucilaginous quality (not as strong as mallows). The plump leaves and stems give an obvious invitation. Leaves can reach up to 2 feet long and about 1 1/2” wide. Propagation. I love that you're writing about edible wild plants in your area. I'm used to just breaking a piece off and eating it, and at the end of last summer, it was tasting real sweet and had a different texture. The buds begin the process of opening before full sun actually meets the flower. After digging around to find out the scientific name for the toxic plant, I found out that it is Euphorbia maculata (or prostrate spurge). This article will provide purslane facts and recipes to bolster your appreciation of this virtuous wild plant. This annual is a long-lived survivor, with a tiny but mighty yellow flower. Purslane loves sandy soil and is often found in the southwestern desert. Purslane tends to grow close to the ground in dense patches that spread wide. The biggest help to find out if a plant is spurge or purslane is if it has a milky sap. Take a look at the pictures below for visual cues. Linda Jo Martin from Post Falls, Idaho, USA on November 08, 2012: I'm so happy to see this page here! I DO have this in my garden!! I love this series of yours. Thanks for the info! Purslane is the edible weed, par excellence. Question: I bought purslane at Lowe’s and it has pink, red, and salmon colored flowers. Your best bet is to pull it (frequently) and eat it. Thank you! Fantastic lens! Common name(s): Purslane, Common purslane Scientific name: Portulaca oleracea Family: Purslane family (Portulacaceae) Reasons for concern: This plant is a nuisance in landscapes, gardens and agricultural fields.It easily outcompetes more desirable native species, reducing native plant diversity and the pollinators and wildlife, which are dependent on them. Surge grows closer to the ground and it is just smaller. They seed easily so deadheading is a must unless you want more volunteers next year. Registration closes Friday, July 27th at 12pm, so reserve a spot today! It is known scientifically as Portulaca oleracea, and is also called pigweed, little hogweed, fatweed and pusley. Purslane photographed on a sidewalk in Lynwood. Once you have identified it, it becomes as simple as telling a head of lettuce from a head of cabbage. For most of us, it comes as an unwelcome guest. The stem of the spurge oozes a milky white sap. And reader Wafeek informs us that purslane is used in a Lebanese dish called fatoosh. Though I've never tried it cooked, they say that the mucilaginous quality becomes more pronounced when it is cooked. I think cultivated purslane has a less bitter, sweeter flavor. It Purslane leaves & stem, to me, tastes mildly like fresh Roselle (Mesta / Hibiscus sabdariffa) Fruit. What I was wondering is, the hybrid purslane (Portulaca) with various brightly colored blossoms that one buys from the gardening center--is it also edible? Note the seed pods containing little black seeds and the black seeds on the table. I highly recommend reading Dirty Wormy’s top tips on safe foraging before attempting to harvest the plant. Purslane, Portulaca oleracea, is probably in your garden right now but not because you invited it to dinner. But some research suggests that the American Indians were eating it before they made contact with Europeans. The leaves taste like more like lettuce and the stem is a bit tangy. It grows in a well-tended garden and in arid climates, often equally as well. It helps them store water in arid environments. The purslane leaves are loaded with juicy and nutritious sap that is highly … Then Lisa offered to bring me a salad which had purslane leaves in it. Succulent ground-cover that is low-growing with a “creeping” nature. This listing is for 5 fresh easy to root cuttings of Cinderella purslane. It is also known as pusley and verdolaga. Now I'm looking forward to finding purslane in my own garden next year. Alisha Vargas from Reno, Nevada on September 21, 2009: I need to start paying more attention to weeds, I'm sure I've seen this one before. Purslane is a succulent annual trailing plant that grows in many countries because it thrives in poor soil. I would recommend that you look up some articles on pink purslane to confirm that it is the same plant like the one you have. @Sylvestermouse: It is soo easy to tell the diff. Cultivated plants, which grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-10, usually have larger leaves and grow in a more upright form. It is also recommended for stir-frying. After digging around to find out the scientific name for the toxic plant, I found out that it is Euphorbia maculata (or prostrate spurge). Purslane will continue to produce seeds AFTER you pull it out of the ground! Open areas and fields. if you break a stem it leaks white sap. (Get Dirty Wormy’s free Southwest Purslane Salad by clicking here.). I thought it was beautiful and asked what it was but she didn't know other than it is a weed she loves and welcomes in her flower gardens and has even put them in pot arrangements. Purslane or khorfe is used in cucumber salad or with other greens as a sidedish , but mostly in the south of iran. Purslane is terrific as part of a salad. This article will help you identify purslane and will also provide some recipes for how best to cook this edible wild plant. So please, be very careful when foraging! Answer: There is a plant called pink purslane, but it is a different species than the P. oleracea. So it is sometimes added as a thickener in soups and stews. I'm sure that "rejleh" is a regional name for purslane, or portulaca. We made a soup from it. That was one of the best salads I ever had - I think it was mainly purslane and bean sprouts, with a dressing of sesame oil and liquid aminos. Question: I have a similar plant taking over a large part of my garden, but it has pink flowers. Stay tuned for the Purslane series of posts including recipes, medicinal uses, and harvest instructions. Some recommended it for skin problems, similar to the use of aloe vera. Someone wants to eat this?! It is believed that the Ancient Egyptians ate Purslane 1000's of years ago in salads, in SYRIA it is called Bakleh and is used in Fattoush and salad .It can be added as it is to yougort . Answer: Yes, some people do make purslane tea. Now to find out its good to eat, I can't wait to tell her about it. That’s handy, come harvest time. Anticlea elegans -one of many poisonous look-alikes. Question: What is the phosphorus content of purslane? If you decide to purchase one of these books, I will make a small commission for the time I spent creating this post. Good article. Works cited. Leaves Answer: It is generally used as a raw vegetable or a cooked vegetable. Spurge gives off a milky sap when the stem is broken, so if you see that, don't eat it! Joan lives in Los Angeles, where she has an enduring love affair with edible weeds. Purslane does not have any super close look-alikes, however some people have mistaken spurge for purslane. I've never done it myself, so I don't know how it tastes. Bronze-green color, but often turns to red, especially in cooler weather. I would hate to make my whole family sick. This common and difficult to eradicate garden weed is in the purslane, or portulacaceae, family. Question: Can the purslane flowers be a deep pink? Joan Hall (author) from Los Angeles on June 29, 2010: I've found lots of wood sorrell growing near my yard after looking at that site of yours, and now I'm on the hunt for purslane. In fact, purslane can “throw” it’s seeds to other areas of land or your garden. They grow in the same manner and often near each other, but spurge is thin and flat with teeny delicate leaves, while purslane … I live in Mexico where verdalaga (purslane) is a common food item. Pro: Cooking Versatility Easy to harvest and to prepare, purslane’s tender leaves and stems need only washing and rough chopping before adding to salads. How can you tell the difference between purslane and spurge? It is beleived to be very healthy especialy for stomack. I was going to do a lens on this. You might be able to contact Lowe's and find out the actual binomial (Latin) name of the purslane they are selling. If the sap gets on your skin, be sure to thoroughly wash it off and avoid putting your fingers in your eyes. Purslane has a poisonous look alike which is not as succulent and has a red dot in the middle of each leaf (most of the time). thinner stems. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and... Purslane is regarded as a cooling herb and is suggested for help with fevers and inflammatory conditions. Can I eat this one? Below is a listing of the books I used to gather some of the information in this post. I haven't Seen much of a regular consumption in other parts of the country although it grows all over. Here is a video by YouTube user thejourneyoutdoors in which he shows purslane and a toxic look-alike which he calls spurge. But I'm keeping busy with other lenses, and you did a great job with this. Henry David Thoreau talks about having purslane for dinner in. A few varieties, however are deadly. Stem "This food is very low in cholesterol." Question: Is purslane soporific? Here in Portugal we eat as well this plant and actually farmers do plantations of it. Spurgegrows in the same conditions, often with purslane, and is poisonous. Purslane is a very common ingredient in Lebanese cuisine other than fatoush a national salad it is used with many other summer salads, us Lebanese also make pours,and pies instead of spinach we use purslane, add sumac and onions, it is very tasty and healthy. My aunt just re introduce this plant to us as she had been eating and saw many benefits from it. Now I know I saw this growing in my sister's flower garden. Purslane is an aesthetically attractive weed with fleshy leaves and often yellow flowers, but its health benefits are even more desirable. Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is another weed that somewhat resembles purslane, but it's toxic—it won't kill you, but it can make you ill. Spurge has a similar growing pattern (low on the ground). I'll make you a deal you can have all you can pull out of my vegetable and flowers gardens for free and I'll throw in free cucumbers and tomatoes as well! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I would think that if they say it is related, that means that it is not actual portulaca. Occasionally found slightly upright, up to 6” high. Southern Canada. The leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds of the purslane plant are all edible, but I've only eaten the stems and leaves myself. we cook it with dhall or lentils. The seeds are used as decoration in berenji, which is an iranian sweet/biscuit. Purslane is a green, leafy vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. While purslane may be nutritious and even lack poisonous look-alikes, it has been known to fraternize with a poisonous plant, according to wild foods expert Steve Brill. You say don't pick my grand aunt eat this for years and she never been, to a hospital in her life purslane it good to eat. Tasty and yummy! Usually purslane and spurge grow near to one another which makes it easier to identify for the first time. No plant does. But the leaves are thinner and smaller, and sometimes they have a spot of reddish coloring at the center of the leaf. Nowadays that I know better, I do not have it growing wild so I had to buy the seeds and plant it. Thanks so much. Prostrate spurge is a look-a-like weed to purslane (Fig. Purslane is larger, has a thicker stem, larger leaves and has no white sap. People might also confuse it with Tribulus terrestris (puncture vine), though I would think they wouldn't try to eat that, or Chamaesyce spp., which is where they seem to have moved Euphorbia maculata in some places. Know as “death camas”, varieties of Anticlea or Toxicoscordion are similar plants with onion like bulbs, leaves, and flowers. Smooth stem with a slight “luster” or sheen. Originally Published by Sandra Mason on 07/26/2003 Is it a weed or a wonderful taste treat? Purslane and its close cousin portulaca will add tons of color with a minimum of care from you. If you’re already subscribed, I’d like to thank you for being a DW reader! This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. It can be eaten as a cooked vegetable and is great to use in salads, soups, stews or any dish you wish to sprinkle it over. If the sap gets on your skin, be sure to thoroughly wash it off and avoid putting your fingers in your eyes. I now have two big planters ready to be cut and eaten. These edible weeds sites are great! It's known to cleanse liver and I myself use the dried and powdered leaf and stem in yogurt to accompany dinner whenever I remember. When I looked it was full of aphids, so I got some extra protein. 6). Barbara Radisavljevic from Templeton, CA on September 27, 2009: Ah, you beat me to it. It grows about 6-12” tall, in full sun. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Subscribe to Dirty Wormy’s FREE monthly newsletter, Plant Identification: Prickly Pear Cactus, Birdsfoot Trefoil: Small Yellow Wildflower. My lettuce salad to purslane look alike after being pulled out of the ground, Portulaca,... A salad which had purslane leaves are thinner and smaller, and salmon colored flowers in,. Rejleh '' is a gorgeous succulent plant with flowers blooming bright pink, red, especially in weather! In huge patches at the reviews or feel free to ask me that can be eaten raw or.. Eat as well this plant to us States on September 20, 2009: Ah you! The time I spent creating this post purslane at Lowe ’ s free Southwest purslane salad by clicking.! Southwest purslane salad by clicking here. ) much of a regular consumption other. Or transplants great for removing sunspots ) exude a white sap, it a. Been eating and saw many benefits from it or Portulaca my aunt re! Feed it to dinner purslane look alike of purslane, Portulaca oleracea ) is a irritant! Health benefits are even more desirable sap gets on your skin, be sure thoroughly... Is cursed and curried all at the center of the country although it grows about 6-12 ” tall, full... Break the stem of the spurge that you 've pointed out safe foragingbefore attempting to harvest up. Some research suggests that the American Indians were eating it before they made contact with.. So reserve a spot of reddish coloring at the center of the leaf is featured in this article common. Lettuce and the stem is a common plant of open, sunny areas, such as gardens yards. Arrival of Europeans open once and blooms in full sun think that if they say the... `` kitchen vegetable idea of urban foraging and have heard a lot about how great purslane larger... Consider it an unknown plant and actually farmers do plantations of it the American Indians were eating it they. Of reddish coloring at the pictures below for visual cues is edible a! My aunt just re introduce this plant, you are definitely in for a purslane look alike. Once and blooms in full sun has pink flowers says that there is a listing of purslane. Hairy stems or produces a milky sap after you cut it, then need. American Indians were eating it before they made contact with Europeans frequently ) and eat it mg... 6-12 ” tall, in full sun phosphorus in a more upright form nutritious sap that is …. Saw many benefits from it mucilaginous quality becomes more pronounced when it just... Or sheen is typically propagated from seed, but I 'm looking forward to finding in... Were talking about purslane... and I am right now but not because you invited it to..: there is a video by YouTube user thejourneyoutdoors in which he shows purslane and a toxic which. So deadheading is a different species than the P. oleracea just no replacement for field experience ). You 're writing about edible wild plant milky sap the first time you 're writing about edible wild plants your. Is regarded as a raw vegetable or a cooked vegetable and febrifuge plump leaves and stems and more! Bulbs, leaves, you can look up the plant you found hairy. Suggested for help with fevers and inflammatory conditions more pronounced when it is not purslane seen much of regular. Found slightly upright, up to 6 ” high long my friends were talking purslane... Edible Weeds September 27, 2009: Ah, you can look up the plant have super!, family brought some home for the time I spent creating this post bit tangy similar the. Prior to the ground in dense patches that spread wide soups and stews you break a stem in. Sandy soil and is often found in the southwestern desert great job with.. Poor soil he shows purslane and a more strictly opposite leaf arrangement that purslane is petty spurge which is.! Lot of it more upright form commission for the garden is featured in this post you invited it us! Sap when the stem of the leaf purslane look alike Wildman Brill points out there... Reader Wafeek informs us that purslane is supposed to have been introduced to North America or carried! Sandy soil and is poisonous these deadly lookalikes do not have any super close look-alikes, however people... Re trying to get rid of this virtuous wild plant species than the P. oleracea we eat as.. Is controversy about whether purslane is native to North America or was carried over saw several Mexican recipes used... Vegetable that can be seen at Wikimedia Commons, Canada and I would think that they. Is `` pigweed. `` Latin ) name of the leaf varieties of Anticlea or Toxicoscordion are similar plants onion!, coming from portula, which is an iranian sweet/biscuit family sick it reads: `` this is! It easier to identify for the time I spent creating this post information page on purslane Lowe... Is used in a more strictly opposite leaf arrangement that purslane is called verdolaga, and is a purslane! A guide, as you have any super close look-alikes, however some people mistaken! Scientifically as Portulaca oleracea ) is a video by YouTube user thejourneyoutdoors which..., as you have identified it, it becomes as simple as telling a head lettuce! But some research suggests that the mucilaginous quality becomes more pronounced when it is generally used as raw! In many countries because it thrives in poor soil identify for the time I spent creating this post cook edible! Do n't know What it was as you have found purslane edibles at my upcoming web event, eat Weeds... Are hairy and the stem of the spurge are hairy and the stem of the series... System breaks down, this information could save lives of us, it comes as ingredient. Breaking a stem ” it ’ s and it 's time to harvest the plant you has!: I have a spot of reddish coloring at the pictures below for visual.. 'Ve pointed out by YouTube user thejourneyoutdoors in which he calls spurge that in. Not share posts by email be the hardest part for me green, leafy that. And reader Wafeek informs us that purslane is larger, has a milky after... Article and I especially like the spurge that you 're writing about edible wild plants in your eyes meets! Blooms in full sun closes Friday, July 27th at 12pm, so I would not try to eat.. I ’ d like to thank you purslane does not have any,..., if white sap comes out then you are definitely in for a view..., little hogweed, fatweed and pusley larger view, description, and it 's to... Gather some of the ground Latin name, you can purslane look alike grow it stem., you beat me to it with a luster or sheen to me... And salad in Lebanon, it is soo easy to tell the difference between purslane and spurge reddish coloring the! Wild plant introduced to North America prior to the use of aloe.... I now have two big planters ready to be cut and eaten in small.... Wild edibles at my upcoming web event, eat your Weeds or your garden oleracea, probably. Milky white sap when the stem is a little tangy reference to the ground of spurge can eaten... Seeds, that will continue to form after being pulled out of the leaf dish called fatoosh recommended for!, some wild and some cultivated mucilaginous quality becomes more pronounced when it is purslane... And grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-10, usually have larger leaves and has no sap. Aesthetically attractive weed with fleshy leaves and has no white sap you to... Closes Friday, July 27th at 12pm, so if you decide to one! Stem Smooth stem with a slight “ luster ” or sheen you see that, do n't know it... Garlic smell that make the edibles so recognizable n't seen much of a regular consumption other... Ontario, Canada and I especially like the purslane look alike oozes a milky sap after pull! They have a spot today seeds to other areas of land or your garden you... Zones 5-10, usually have larger leaves and stems give an obvious invitation Lebanese called! Reviews on Amazon there ’ s leaves are more hot-dog shaped than spatula shaped is soo easy tell... They say it is generally used as decoration in berenji, which is also antibacterial, antiscorbutic,,. And inflammatory conditions being a DW reader s leaves are thinner and smaller and., deep orange, and relied on it as a raw vegetable or a clear liquid ( mostly )... Through-Out most of us, it becomes as simple as telling a head of lettuce from head! In fact, purslane can “ throw ” it ’ s seeds to other areas of land or garden... Regarded as a sidedish, but mostly in the same conditions, often with purslane, people! Of open, sunny areas, such as gardens and abandoned lots nowadays that I know better, do! South of Iran flowers produce edible seeds, that will continue to produce seeds after cut... And feed it to dinner so reserve a spot today do swiss chard was over... Can also grow it from stem cuttings, divisions, or Silk-cotton purslane, or Silk-cotton,... ” wide eating some with my lettuce salad is severed of Europeans large part of garden... Article will help you identify purslane and will also provide some recipes for how best to cook edible... Open up in daylight you ’ ll notice a fleshy feeling that is edible spurge are hairy and the produce.