

Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
I’ve seen it growing at the edge of the kitchen garden for years and thought nothing of it.
It’s easy to identify, with noticeably shaped, oval leaves on waxy stems winding their way through the grass in the yard.
To my uneducated eye, it looked like just another weed.
Of course, that alone should have told me that it was something important.
It should be a rule of thumb – or, a green thumb rule – that what we so often think of as a weed, almost always turns out to be a botanical marvel.
And so it is with the humble purslane.
Taken for a weed – misunderstood and underestimated – it’s often pulled up and discarded.
A friend visiting from Florida, who, while surveying my garden, pointed it out to me and lectured me on the value of the “weed” I’d been ignoring.
Its Latin name is Portulaca oleracea – but it’s commonly called purslane.
It originated in the Mediterranean, the Middle East.
It’s long been prized for its beauty, its usefulness as food and medicine and even as a fabric dye.
It was mentioned in the Bible – in the Book of Job.
It was one of the Romans’ favorite vegetables. Ancient Rome’s famous naturalist, Pliny the Elder, recorded its uses in his Naturalis Historia.
In India, it was paired with meat, added to broths and bread and stir fried with garlic and exotic spices.
Purslane has a mild, slightly tangy, almost citrusy, flavor. It’s a natural for inclusion in salads and as a substitute for greens in most recipes.
In the 1500s, the English herbalist, John Gerard recommended eating purslane with salt, oil and vinegar.
The 17th Century English author, John Evelyn, published what was probably the first English language salad cookbook, Acetaria, a Discourse of Sallets, in 1699. It included a recipe for pickled purslane.
In America, Henry David Thoreau, mentioned purs-lane in Walden – the book he published in 1854.
Thoreau said that the purslane he gathered from his garden, which we boiled and salted, had fed him “many a satisfactory dinner.”
Purslane is a naturally spreading plant whose flowers attract pollinators – another benefit of this natural ground cover.
The purslane you’re most likely to encounter growing in your yard, with its tiny yellow flowers, is wild purslane, the most nutritious variety.
But there are ornamental varieties which have slightly larger blossoms in pink, red, white or purple.
Among its many nutrients, wild purslane is chock full of vitamin A, C and E, magnesium, beta-carotene, calcium, potassium and iron.
It’s an excellent source of antioxidants, it’s great for boosting the immune system and recent studies show that it can increase dopamine levels in the brain.
And it’s found almost everywhere there is a warm growing season.
It requires little water and practically no care.
It can survive and even thrive in poor soil and poor conditions – and enriches whatever soil it lives in.
Its strong tap root breaks up compacted soil, which improves drainage and benefits subsequent gardening.
As an annual, purslane dies away at the end of the growing season, adding rich organic matter to the soil.
Although purslane won’t repel pests, it does draw beneficial insects like hoverflies, ladybugs, and predatory beetles which feed on mealybugs, aphids and other garden pests.
If you want to keep it handy for adding to the menu, purslane makes an excellent container plant, too.
Regularly harvesting purslane’s leaves and stems for cooking or medicinal purposes doesn’t harm the plant – on the contrary, it encourages new growth.
It’s so easy to grow.
You can make a shallow dig around the plant and place it into new soil. Or take cuttings and place them directly into new soil, where they will quickly take root.
There is a chance of misidentifying purslane as there are a several plants which have similar leaves and stems.
Spotted spurge is probably the most common look-alike for purslane with its similar leaf shape, reddish stems and growth pattern.
But look for the dark spot in the middle of the leaf (unlike the smooth green leaves of purslane) and the milky sap that oozes from a spotted spurge’s stem when its broken.
Other spurge’s which may also be confused with purslane will also exude a milky sap – some of which is a skin irritant.
Rose moss (portulaca grandiflora) is a portulaca relative of purslane, and, like purslane, makes great ground cover.
This close cousin is similar to purslane, but as it is not edible, it is used in landscaping and container gardening.
Identify rose moss by its leaves. Instead of flat oval leaves, rose moss has rounded, cylindrical leaves. And its blooms are larger.
Prostrate knotweed is another plant, which, like purslane, grows close to the ground in a “mat formation.”
But knotweed’s leaves and stems don’t have the glossy appearance of purslane, and they form white flecked pink flowers at the tip of their leaves.
Purslane in the Kitchen
Purslane can be eaten raw or cooked as you would any green vegetable.
But before we talk about some easy purslane recipes, there is one note of caution.
Purslane is generally quite safe to eat, but people susceptible to kidney stones should take note – purslane contains oxalates, which may contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
Cooking purslane does reduce its oxalate content, but it might be best avoided altogether if there is a kidney stone concern.
Purslane’s tangy, crunchy leaves make a unique addition to any green salad or try some of these ideas:
Purslane tastes great combined with cucumbers and tomatoes and tossed with a light vinaigrette.
For an unusual Greek salad, combine purslane with feta cheese, ripe olives and a lemon dressing.
To super-charge the nutritional content of any green veggie smoothy, toss in a few pinches of purslane.
Purslane leaves, walnuts, lemon juice and a little olive oil blended in a food processor will yield a delicious pesto sauce.
Purslane leaves sauteed with garlic and olive oil make a nice complement to meat dishes.
What to do with your purslane stems? Stir fry them sprinkled in olive oil and serve with a pinch of your favorite herbs.
To preserve purslane for use long after its growing season, dry the leaves and stems and store in an airtight container for up to six months.
Freeze the leaves by first blanching them slightly and placing in a freezer bag. Or freeze a purslane puree.
Pickle a few jars of the stems and leaves in vinegar to enjoy their fresh, summery taste with your winter salads.