Purslane, an edible green

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a succulent that comes in many varieties, and the one usually found in the garden or driveway has small leaves, spreading close to the ground.  It has a cousin that has larger leaves, but still has a spreading aspect, and is found in the produce department of Latin markets under the name Verdolaga. Its used both raw in salads and cooked, as greens.

This “weed” can be found often growing in cracks in driveways, or along a hard-packed garden path.  It’ll also find its way into a garden bed with dense, clay soil.  It is drought tolerant and  grows in full sun as well as part shade.  Purslane is also attractive to bees. It grows where there is little humus and low moisture, as well as low calcium and phosphorous. As such, it is considered a “dynamic accumulator,” pulling in calcium and phosphorous from deeper in the soil via a long taproot, to make the minerals available to other plants. It can also indicate very high potassium and magnesium in the soil.