How to Grow and Use Purslane

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a weedy-looking little succulent that you might have growing wild in your lawn or flower garden. It’s also sometimes called pigweed. It's a low-growing plant with small, fleshy leaves and tiny yellow flowers. It can look ugly in garden beds. It spreads widely and quickly after it takes root. The medicinal value of purslane is large, as it is a rich source of vitamin C and alpha linolenic acid, one of the omega-3 fatty acids. But it’s not only medicinal; it’s a great culinary plant, which is cultivated in France as a lemon-flavored salad delicacy and enjoyed in fancy New York restaurants.

Things You'll Need

• Purslane seeds or plants
• Nursery pot(s) or flat(s)
• Garden space
• Compost or rich potting soil
• Trowel

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Instructions

• 1

  Browse through seed catalogs to find a source for purslane seed. If you know of it growing wild, you can uproot several plants and transplant them into your garden.

• 2

  The most reliable way to begin purslane from seed is to start it in nursery pots or flats. Prepare your pot with a good quality potting soil, into which you have added some rich compost.

• 3

  The seeds are tiny, so simply scatter them on top of the soil in your pot or flat and then press them into the soil gently with your hand.

• 4

  Water your pot or flat well, making certain not to knock the seeds out of the pot with too strong a stream of water.

• 5

  Place your pot or flat in a location that gets filtered sunight. Be sure to keep the soil evenly moist. Germination should occur within one to two weeks.

• 6

  When plants are two to three inches long they will begin to creep over the surface of the soil. This is a good time to transplant them into your garden. Keep the soil moist until your young purslane plants show good signs of strong growth and have begun to spread.

• 7

  To use purslane as a delicious, nutritious addition to a salad or stir-fry, simply harvest the fleshy leaves, wash them and then add them to your dish.