Portulaca oleracea
When I told my husband I was planting purslane in the garden , I surmise he call up I ’d lose my judgement .
No doubt he was think back to the years when I fought furiously to tug the tenacious sess from my garden seam .
These day , I bonk well . Portulaca oleraceais a delicious , various green that – as you might have judge , given that it ’s considered a smoke – much grows without any help at all .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Did I bring up that it ’s implausibly good for you , too ?
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Writer Michael Pollan even described it as one of the two most nutritious wild edible plants , along with lamb ’s quarter , in his book “ In Defense of Food : An Eater ’s Manifesto,”available via Amazon .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
you may grow purslane class - roundas a microgreen , and all summertime long as a vegetable .
In fact , you might find the hard part of cultivate this tangy honey oil is keeping it from farm a little too well .
There are lots of things you could do to see to it a rewarding harvest , including take the correct time of day to pick the farewell for the best flavour .
You ’ll also call for to make love how to expend the Green once you ’ve harvested them , so let ’s dive in .
What You’ll Learn
What Is Purslane?
P. oleraceais an one-year succulent that has been weigh both a useless weed and a potent medicative plant at different times throughout history .
Also known as little Heracleum sphondylium , pigweed , fatweed , and pusley , it ’s gained recognition in US pop acculturation more late for being a nutritionary human dynamo .
Purslane carry lots of antioxidant , vitamins , and mineral – it even has seven times more genus Beta carotene than carrot .
The Portulaceae family also includes the cosmetic wingpod purslane ( P. umbraticola ) andmoss rose ( P. grandiflora ) . Rather than being farm for food or medicinal drug , these species are often cultivated for their prime .
The perennial wingpod type has green , rounded farewell , reddish stems , and yellow blossoms while the annual moss rose is a desert plant life , often with spiky leave , that may produce flowers in a variety of colour .
Common purslane , on the other hand , looks a short like a lilliputian jade plant , and you could eat up the leave , staunch , flowers , and seminal fluid , either raw or cooked .
The leave of absence taste somewhat citrusy and salty , with a peppery recoil not unlike arugula , but with a juicier crunch to it .
Its small yellow flowers have five flower petal and yellow stamen . The flora blossom from midsummer through other surrender , at which point the flowers are fertilized and then create seeds .
Not everyone is as big a fan of this nutritious William Green as I am .
The United States Department of Agriculture telephone it a “ noxious weed , ” and in some regions its cultivation is confine or prohibited .
Do n’t permit that put you off ( unless you have reason to , depending on where you survive ! ) .
Purslane is also widely considered a “ superfood ” that ’s popping up in fine dining and farm - to - table eating place across the country .
Cultivation and History
P. oleraceahas naturalized in most theatrical role of the world , from north Africa and southerly Europe , where it likely originated , to North America , where there is evidencethat aboriginal citizenry across the continent were cultivating and foraging for it long before Europeans arrived .
Historically , it was domesticate in cardinal Europe , Asia , and the Mediterranean domain .
you could also scrounge and eat the wild stuff , which lean to be more pungent and vivid in flavor .
I cogitate cultivated purslane has a less virulent , sweetened spirit . Cultivated plant , which grow inUSDA Hardiness Zones5 to 10 , usually have larger leaves and grow in a more just mannikin . That ’s ready to hand , come harvest fourth dimension .
Propagation
Purslane is typically pass around from seed , but you’re able to also uprise it from stem cutting , division , or graft .
You may have a hard time find seeds or works at your local nursery , however .
From Seed
If you buy purslane germ to get started , you ’ll likely never need to buy them again , since one plant can produce over 50,000 seeds through the course of instruction of its life-time .
you’re able to direct sow in this vigorous green outdoors , after the last frost has passed and soil temperature achieve about 60 ° degree Fahrenheit .
Sprinkle seeds onto moist soil and press them in lightly . Do n’t cover them , as they involve luminousness to germinate . seedling take seven to 10 days to sprout after planting .
Once they ’ve sprouted and have formed a few unfeigned leave , thin them to eight inch apart .
you could alsostart seeds indoorsat least three weeks before the last Robert Frost . transfer them after they ’ve acquire one curing of true leaves and all risk of frost has passed .
Be trusted to harden them off for a few day before set them out in the garden .
To do this , put them in a sheltered country like a terrace , and gradually debunk them to an extra hour of Sunday each day for a week .
Keep young seedling away from wind and protract Lord’s Day exposure during this phase .
From Stem Cuttings
It ’s not only the numeral of germ it create that makes purslane such a sound spreader .
Each piece of stem can create a new flora , which makes your chore as a gardener easier – or more hard , if you find you ca n’t keep it under ascendance .
To propagate from stem press clipping , use a sharp tongue or scissors to cut a six - inch - long stem from the parent plant life . Remove the leaves from the bottom half .
Plant the radical in potting stain with one-half of the stem buried underground . Place in an area with lustrous , indirect lighter , and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged .
After a hebdomad , you should notice your cutting beginning to grow , and it should reserve firm in the soil when you give it a aristocratic jerk
At that point , it ’s ready to be transplanted .
you’re able to actually get away with cut one - inch pieces of the stem and burying them entirely , one-fourth of an column inch deep like a shot in the garden .
In a few calendar week , you ’ll get to see new plants popping out of the soil . I ’ve yet to have a single slip fail when I planted them this way .
Still , the first method that I described is the safest way to go .
Transplanting
As you ’d anticipate , this vigorous works is a composition of cake to graft .
Dig it up with a trowel , making certain to keep the stem and stems attached . Dig a new hole twice the size of the root ball .
put the uprooted plant life in the fix , setting it no profoundly than it was engraft previously , and fill up the hole back in with shite .
Keep in thinker that unless you savvy up the plant entirely , leavingnothingbehind , a fresh one will belike sprout up in its plaza .
How to Grow
Purslane needs full sun to produce well . That say , if you desire to advance flower yield , industrial plant in an field that is partially shaded from the heat of the day .
These plants also care it warm – the more heat , the better . If you have a hot spot next to a brick fencing or cement wall where other specimens struggle , put your plants there .
Purslane like it well when the temperatures are above 70 ° degree Fahrenheit , and thrives even when it catch above 100 ° F .
These plants are n’t picky about soil , as you may have noticed , give the fact that they grow readily in sidewalk cracks and on the side of the road .
For good results , plant in mean quality land that ’s well - draining , with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5 .
You ’ll get larger , fat industrial plant by growing in loamy , poriferous soil than you will in compact , hapless ground . However , I ascertain plants grown in lower quality priming have a stronger savour .
When it descend to fertilizing , you have permit to be indolent . Purslane does n’t need anything , though a bit of compost worked into the territory when planting is never a sorry idea .
tearing is another area where you do n’t need to overdo it . This warmth - loving plant will die if it gets too much urine , but providing even and consistent moisture will give you a leafy , more robust harvest home .
As you ’d require from a succulent , it ’s happiest in juiceless – but not parched – soil .
To see if your industrial plant has the right amount of moisture , stick your finger’s breadth into the filth . If it ’s dry up to your first knuckle , it ’s time to water .
To avoid problems with fungus , water system at ground story rather than overhead .
To keep it from taking over your garden , trim the plant life back to two inches above the stain , or harvest it entirely before it flowers .
Apply an inch of organic mulch , such as wood chips , in midsummer to keep it from spreading .
Mulch slows the counterpane of purslane by stymie sunshine that ’s required for the seed to spud , and some types of mulch – like black walnut – moderate chemical that inhibit growth .
you could also grow purslane in container , where it can prosper quite happily since it does n’t require daily waterings .
This is a sassy way to deoxidize and help prevent the bed covering of this works , however , I ’ve even had wild volunteers sprout in my unused containers . Those seed just want to grow !
Growing for Microgreens
Purslane microgreens are tart and fat . I grow them year - one shot on my windowsill , and because they grow so quickly , I have a constant supply on hand .
Use a seeded player tray or other flat , wide container , and occupy it with potting mix at least half an inch recondite .
Sprinkle seeds over the moistened dirt and gently push them in . spot in a sunny surface area where the temperature is systematically about 75 ° F , or use a heat mat to keep seeds lovesome .
Keep the soil moist until they sprout , which will take about a week . After that , allow just the Earth’s surface of the soil to dry out out between waterings .
Once the super C emerge from the ground with their first leave-taking , also known as cotyledons , you may dig in . This typically happens in 14 to 21 day .
Unlike some other plant , purslane ’s embryonic seed leave-taking are succulent and delicious , so you do n’t need to wait for dead on target leave of absence to modernize before you start beak .
I like to pluck my microgreens as I need them , and leave a dozen or so seedlings alone to be transplanted out into the garden for continual harvest time when I ’m ready .
Growing Tips
Cultivars to Select
There are dozens of form available , but you ’ll most usually see the cultivars ‘ Gruner Red ’ and ‘ Goldberg ’ for sales agreement .
If your local garden centre or baby’s room carries plants grown as ornamentals , these may be treat with pesticides or other chemicals , and it is not recommended to consume the leaves .
Common
The typical garden variety , common purslane ( speciesP. oleracea ) develop down in the mouth along the priming and spread up to 18 inches once mature .
Common Purslane
you’re able to find seeds availablefrom Eden Brothers .
Golden
A cultivar ofP. oleraceavar.sativa , ‘ Golden ’ purslane has tender yellow - immature farewell and grows to a mature size of it of about 10 column inch grandiloquent .
‘ gilt ’
Seeds for ‘ gold ’ are availablefrom True Leaf Market .
Goldgelber
P. oleracea‘Goldgelber ’ matures in 26 days , and propagate up to 12 inches wide of the mark . It grows to be about 6 inches tall when mature .
‘ Goldgelber ’
you may feel ‘ Goldgelber ’ seedsavailable from Burpee .
Gruner Red
P. oleracea‘Gruner Red ’ has pink - tinge stems , much like the common purslane you have probably get out as a smoke .
It has slurred , ellipse - forge , unripe leaves of about an inch long , and a fledged size of it of up to 12 inches tall .
Managing Pests and Disease
Purslane is a audacious plant . It does n’t typically attract or succumb to many pestilence or diseases that you ’ll need to combat , though there are a few things to watch out for :
Purslane Blotchmine Sawfly
You may encounter purslane blotchmine sawfly , Schizocerella pilicornis , the leafage - excavation larva of which nibble tunnels through the leaves of plants .
These may lead ignominious or blotchy telltale marks on the leaf , and a dangerous infestation can destroy an full crop .
The pale , yellowish larvaeburrow underground to pupate , and distaff grownup sawfly emerge in late bound to insert their egg in the edge of the folio of plants .
The half - inch - long black or dark - colored adults may be difficult to spot since they typically only endure for about a solar day , and the larva spend most of their metre feed inwardly rather than on the surfaces of leaves before they trip down to the ground to tunnel in the soil and pupate .
Multiple coevals can be create per year , and purslane is the only host to this insect . It ’s often find in hemp fields , since they lean to be full of purslane as well , maturate as a grass .
If you do see larvae or evidence that they have been feeding on your plants , remove any bug that you may by hired man , and applydiatomaceous eartharound plant .
Leaves with mining damage can be squished between your fingers to belt down the larvae , or removed and disposed of as an extra precaution .
You may also want toencourage parasitic waspsto take up residence in your garden – they get laid to make a bite of these pests .
Portulaca Leafmining Weevil
The larvae ofHypurus bertrandiweevils are flyspeck leaf - mining grub that may masticate tunnel through the leaves of your plant .
adult may also cause scathe , feed on the border and surfaces of leaves as well as the theme and germinate seed pod , but this causes only a fraction of the price that feeding larvae are capable of .
coarse purslane is the only love master of ceremonies to this insect .
like to the blotchmine sawfly , you could often find it in yield orchards , another place whereP. oleraceaoften grows as a weed .
you may utilise a place insecticide like Spinosad to control them . Apply it at night , when the bug are most dynamic .
you’re able to also promote bloodsucking white Anglo-Saxon Protestant likeDiglyphus isaeato come to the area and take fear of them for you .
Fungus
Just about the only disease this plant life shin with is black base hogwash , triggered by the fungusDichotomophthora portulacae .
This contagion typically only happens if you overwater your plants or live in a moist climate . You ’ll observe fateful wound on the stem that may spread to the leaves .
you’re able to use a atomic number 16 or bull - based fungicide if the disease starts to spread to the leaves .
I find that a regular app of neem oil colour will take attention of a mild compositor’s case of fungus that only causes a few small stain on the root word .
Harvest
you’re able to await to glean mature leaf about 50 days after you plant your seeds .
The time of day that you glean the plant will affect its tang . In the morning , the plants contain more malic acid , make the leaves savour more whore .
In the even , they contain less of this acid and are a bit sweeter . experimentation to see what you prefer .
To harvest , nip off a segment of the plant with abrupt scissors and instantly put it in a cool place .
you could reap a single stem at a time and it will regrow .
Or , you may reap as much of the industrial plant as you desire at a clip , so long as you leave about 2 in of the plant maturate above the soil , and it will get along back as long as it ’s quick enough .
When I ’m pee a big salad , I ’ll go outside with a pair of scissors and trim the intact industrial plant , leaving several inches at the base to regrow .
As a resultant of its rich growth habit , you may await about three harvests per year from each plant that you arise .
A Note of Caution
If you are forage for purslane or you purchase decorative diversity from your local nursery , be aware that these flora may have been sprayed with chemicals . If in doubt , do not consume .
Preservation
you could stack away the leaves and stems enwrap in a cotton fiber cloth or in a pliant cup of tea in the refrigerator crisper draftsman for up to a hebdomad .
They can last a few days longer if you do n’t wash out them first before tossing them in the electric refrigerator .
If you do n’t plan to use your jet right away – which fall out to me when I determine to tackle a particularly large temporary hookup of the unwarranted variety in my garden one year – you may also dry out them .
Dried purslane act as a inspissation agent that you may use in soups or desserts .
Because they have so much water in them , it ’s better to pluck the leaves off the stalk and lay them in a single stratum on a rack or cookie rag .
Then , using a solid food dehydrator or oven set to 135 ° atomic number 9 , dry them until they ’re brittle .
At this point , you’re able to use them as a dry out herbaceous plant in your preparation , or blend them up to make a powder to add to soups and smoothies .
Get more information on drying herbs in this template .
Nutrition
Many types of fish hold high levels of healthy omega-3s . But Pisces can be expensive , and some types of fishing have a negative impact on the environment .
Purslane , on the other hand , control the omega-3 fatty acids alpha - linolenic Elvis ( ALA ) and gamma - linolenic acid ( LNA ) , withfour milligrams of these per gram of sweet leaves .
Grow your own purslane and that can add up to a pregnant toll saving for your wallet , and for the planet!P. oleraceaactually has more omega-3 than any other edible green works .
While the juicy leaves and stem hold mostly water , it ’s also rich in vitamin A and C , as well as magnesium , atomic number 26 , and potassium .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
This veg has a mild enough flavor when fresh that it pairs well with a variety of ingredients , fromlettuce , tomato , andcucumbersto eggs and fish .
I adore pickled purslane .
To make a quick pickle , just hack the leave and satisfy a jar .
Bring your option of acetum brine to a boil ( I like a intermixture of orchard apple tree cyder vinegar , water supply , moolah , and pickling spices ) , and pour it over the leaves to cover .
Screw the palpebra on tightly , and refrigerate for about a week before using .
The leaves are delicious tossed in Irish potato salad , or layer on clear - look mackerel sandwiches .
I also like to summate handfuls of impudent or sauteed leaves to soup just before wait on . I find chilled cucumber purslane soup to be peculiarly refreshing when it ’s hot out .
In the summer , you could also try stuffing trout with fresh purslane leave of absence before blackguard in the oven with butter and lemon yellow .
In the middle of the winter , when my purslane microgreens are just about the only tonic thing produce around the menage , I like to add them to a grain salad with pomegranate seeds and cooked barley .
My good advice when using purslane in your kitchen is to either run through it raw , or cook it wholly . If you only partially make fun or boil it , it exact on a slimy texture , similar to okra .
Medicinal Uses
Purslane has been touted throughout history for its medicinal tone .
Today , there ’s some evidencethat it can help to subdue uterine bleeding . When eat regularly by people with diabetes , an improvement in serum insulin level was noted in one study .
A small clinical trial found betterment in pulmonary social occasion when purslane was used to treat bronchial asthma .
Anda study publish in the Journal of Ethnopharmacologyin December 2000 by K. Chan , et al . , indicated that it ’s useful when used topically as an anti - seditious .
It can also look sharp wound healing , according toanother cogitation issue in the Journal of Ethnopharmacologyin October 2003 by A.N. Rashed , F.U. Afifi , and A.M. Disi .
At my house , I like to soak up the dry leaves in olive oil colour for several days to make a ointment , and then apply it locally as require when my skin is irritated from the winter cold or summer high temperature .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
It Doesn’t Get Any Easier Than Growing Purslane
A lot of herbs and veg lay title to being easy to grow , but purslane might be the Martin Luther King of concern - free gardening .
Your bragging challenge will in all likelihood be using up your crop , and stop it from spreading throughout the remainder of your garden .
Now that you have the cognition necessary to make the most of this nutritional fireball , hopefully you wo n’t toss them out next time you add up across a patch of these “ Mary Jane ” in your railway yard .
Looking foreven more medicative plantsto mature in your garden ? Check out these article next :
photograph by Kristine Lofgren © require the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . in the beginning published on April 2nd , 2020 . Last updated April 4th , 2023 . Product photos via Burpee , Eden Brothers , and True Leaf Market . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock . With additional committal to writing and redaction by Allison Sidhu .
The staff at Gardener ’s Path are not medical professionals and this clause should not be construed as aesculapian advice intended to value , diagnose , prescribe , or promise cure . Gardener ’s Path and Ask the Experts , LLC assume no liability for the utilisation or abuse of the material presented above . Always confer with a medical master before changing your diet or using plant - based therapeutic or postscript for health and wellness .
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Kristine Lofgren
