Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Portulaca oleracea. |
Common name |
Purslane, market garden purslane, vegetable purslane, common purslane. |
Family |
Portulacaceae. |
Origin |
Uncertain (west Asia). |
Dimensions |
10 to 20 cm high x 30 to 45 cm spread. The reddish, fleshy stems are branched and spread out on the ground, from a short central stem. |
Foliage |
The leaves are small, thick and fleshy, obovate to oblong in shape. |
Bloom |
From June to September. Yellow in color, they are small and only open in the morning. This does not prevent them from offering their nectar to many pollinating insects (bees, hoverflies, etc.). The fruits they produce are capsules filled with tiny seeds ready to resow. |
Exposure |
Sun. |
Ground |
Any type of light, drained soil. |
Rusticity |
-30°C. Hardy annual. The aerial parts disappear with frost. |
Harvested in the wild and then cultivated since Antiquity, purslane is sometimes considered a weed because of its propensity to reseed in unoccupied rows of our gardens. Perhaps because we have lost sight of the flavor and beneficial properties of its leaves?
Where does purslane grow?
Portulaca oleracea grows spontaneously on warm,
sandy
soils
and in most soils, even poor, dry or compacted ones. (It loves to spread out on paths left bare and compacted by the gardener's repeated visits.) But if you want to harvest beautiful leaves with a sweet flavor, a light, drained, humus-rich and fresh soil is preferable.
How to sow purslane?
Purslane is sown on warmed soil between April and July. Copyright (c) 2018 Marush/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Purslane is sown on warmed soil
between April and July.
(Early sowing, in pots, in the warmth, can be done as early as March.) Sowing is done on well-cleaned and loosened soil, in rows spaced 25 cm apart. Barely cover the seeds and water. When the seedlings are strong enough, thin the rows every 15 to 20 cm.
Tip:
sow several times during the season to extend the harvest period for young leaves;
Please note:
purslane is a covering plant that can be combined with many tall crops.
Read alsoDelosperma cooperi: the essential perennial purslane of the garden
Should you water purslane a lot?
Regular watering
results in a milder flavor from the leaves. Pinching the stems encourages their branching and delays the appearance of flowers. If you want to avoid spontaneous sowing, remove the flowers before the seeds form.
When to harvest purslane?
Pick the youngest and most tender purslane stems as needed! Copyright (c) 2022 VH-studio/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
The leafy stems are
harvested
from June to September, approximately two months after sowing and preferably before flowering. Pick the youngest and most tender stems as needed, just before eating them, as they cannot be stored.
How to prepare purslane?
The tangy taste and crunchy texture of vegetable purslane are appreciated
in mixed salads
, but it is possible to cook it, as you cook spinach: in soup, gratin, pan-fried... To vary the pleasures, try the variety 'Golden' with larger leaves and a milder flavor.
What are the benefits of purslane?
Purslane is an interesting vegetable for its supply
of omega 3,
vitamins C and E and for its antioxidant, diuretic and detoxifying properties.