For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

Purslane: Health Benefits, How to Cook It, and Why It’s Not Just a Weed

Purslane plants portulaca oleracea vegetable common garden weed, nutritious veggie
Image Credit:
Quang Ho/Shutterstock
Written By: Celeste Longacre Gardener & Astrologer

If you have weeds in your garden, you’re probably growing purslane. This plant is not only edible but also very nutritious—it’s even grown as a crop. Discover purslane’s surprising health benefits and how to cook purslane.

What Is Purslane?

  • Edible succulent plant
  • Grows in gardens and wild areas
  • Rich in omega-3 fatty acids
  • Used in Mediterranean, Mexican, and Greek cooking
  • Considered a superfood

Common purslane, Portulaca oleracea, is a succulent used in Greek and Italian cooking. Immigrants from India originally brought it with them; it then escaped into gardens and backyards and is now naturalized worldwide. Over centuries, purslane has been treated as a medicinal wonder, a cultivated ornamental, an annoying weed, and an edible leafy green!

Purslane leaves resemble those of a tiny jade plant. When plucked for recipes, they lend a lemony, tangy flavor that’s reminiscent of sorrel; it’s a good substitute for watercress, spinach, and arugula.

Purslane Health Benefits

Amazingly, purslane is one of the world’s most nutritious wild edible plants. It’s now considered a superfood and is showing up in farmers’ markets and even fancy restaurants nationwide, often in salads or sandwiches. Meanwhile, most gardeners will find purslane growing right in their vegetable beds!

Nutritionally, purslane can boast:

Purslane is also said to be a natural remedy for insomnia. It has many of the same health benefits as other leafy greens. 

Is Purslane a Weed or a Crop?

Purslane is a plant that most of us here in North America consider a weed. I start seeing purslane in the spring in my own garden.

Because I now know it’s a healthy green, I let it grow in between my rows of carrots and beets and in other places where it isn’t bothering my veggies. Once it touches my crops, I take it out and eat it!

purslane growing in a garden

How to Harvest Purslane

To harvest purslane, it’s a good idea to pull it up completely and then cut off the stems from the piece attached to the root.

Compost the rest of the plant (the root) or feed it to your chickens! Some companies are now actually selling purslane seeds so that they can be added to a garden on purpose—a delightful, nutritious extra for the enthusiastic gardener.

How to Cook Purslane

How do people eat purslane? Once you’ve cut off the root, the individual stems need to be washed carefully. Purslane has little crevices to hold the soil, so you really need to use a hose to get ALL the dirt off. 

  • In the Mediterranean area, purslane is usually tossed into salads or added to soups.
  • In Mexico, it’s a favorite addition to omelets.
  • Purslane can also be lightly steamed for 4 to 5 minutes, then served with salt and a little butter.
  • Purslane goes very well with cucumbers, topped with some oil-and-vinegar dressing.
  • Also, try adding purslane to smoothies or juicing it.

Purslane Recipes

Here’s a great purslane salad: Fingerling-Potato and Purslane Salad with Grainy-Mustard Dressing.

Or try adding this nutrient-packed green to any soup. I like to add purslane to my bone broth soup, which is delicious! (You can also add seasonal lamb quarters, dandelions, nettles, amaranth, and herbs for health.)

Can You Freeze Purslane?

Absolutely! Consider freezing your purslane and add it to soups through the cold winter months! See how to freeze greens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is purslane a superfood?

Yes, purslane is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants, making it one of the most nutritious edible weeds.

What does purslane taste like?

Purslane has a slightly lemony, tangy flavor similar to sorrel or watercress.

Can you eat purslane raw?

Yes, purslane is commonly eaten raw in salads or added to soups and cooked dishes.

Where does purslane grow?

Purslane grows naturally in gardens, fields, and warm climates worldwide.

Try purslane in your next salad or soup and discover why this common garden weed is becoming a popular superfood. Explore more edible plants and gardening tips to make the most of what grows in your backyard.

What do you think of purslane? Would you add it to your diet? Let us know!

Healthy Foods

About The Author

Celeste Longacre

Celeste Longacre

Gardener & Astrologer

Celeste an Old Farmer's Almanac astrologer. She has also been growing virtually all of her family’s vegetables for the entire year for over 30 years.

Read more from Celeste Longacre

More Like This

Comments

<span>Cheryl Swoverland</span> Sun, 07/23/2017 - 21:33
My father had beds and planters of what he called Portulaca, or Moss Rose. They were beautiful and I noticed they look like the pics I see of Purslane. Is it the same thing? He saved the seeds and planted them for other people.
<span>Joycelyn</span> Fri, 02/24/2017 - 12:10
Purslane, (which I'm new to learning about ) also contains oxalate so a warning to folks who are prone to kidney stones to be sure they thoroughly research consuming purslane, should also be added to your article.
<span>Kd Dunbar</span> Wed, 08/17/2016 - 16:07
I have about 1/4 acre that is filled with purslane. I pick the mature plants (just as they are blooming), cut off the roots, turn them upside down and dry them on a screen on my enclosed back porch. When they are completely dry, I strip the leaves off the stems and powder them in the blender. I use the powder in diy cosmetics and sprinkle some on/in many foods (especially soups). The fresh purslane adds a tart crunch to salads. Yum! Warning: don't eat purslane out of your yard if you have used herbicides and/or pesticides anywhere near them.
<span>Rhonda Fox-Sweeten</span> Tue, 10/06/2015 - 19:21
I found this info about Purslane quite exciting, especially the fact that It has seven times the beta-carotene of carrots and six times more vitamin E than spinach along with "fourteen times more Omega 3 fatty acids". All this in a weed, who knew! I'm going to try & locate some, in Tulsa, at a home and garden outlet. Wish me luck.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/celeste-longacre">Celeste Longacre</a> Mon, 10/19/2015 - 08:24

Hi Rhonda,

Who knew, indeed. Good luck!

 <span>Surfkat</span> Fri, 08/21/2015 - 14:34
That was a very good article CL! I see them out in the yard. I plan to try some now. TY!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/celeste-longacre">Celeste Longacre</a> Mon, 10/19/2015 - 08:23

Thanks SurfKat!

 <span>Pat Love</span> Wed, 08/19/2015 - 09:43
This came up in my flower bed, my daughter has something like this also in her bed, but has rose red blooms. Mine hasn't bloomed. Does it bloom? Would like to know if we have the same plant.
<span>Carmen</span> Sat, 07/21/2018 - 23:21
Last year, I pulled them out thinking it was a weed. This year is the second year it apeald in my yard. I am not really sure if it's eatable for sure. I have so many of it that I leave it alone because it's ptretty. I am not brave enough to try to eat it.
<span>Grama Pei</span> Mon, 07/16/2018 - 03:50
While purslane is of the family portulaca, it is NOT the same as the beautiful flowering Moss Rose (of the family portulaca) that comes in so very many gorgeous colors. Moss rose has narrow, elongated, succulent-type leaves, while purslane (the so-called weed) has ovate and more flat leaves. Please research the flower Moss Rose before you eat it, to make certain its edible. I grow both; the edible weed in my garden and the flower in my pots near the front deck. Definitely different. The Moss Rose has a much larger flower, and a different seed pod as well. Purslane's flowers are tiny.