Foraging and Eating Purslane, Portulaca oleracea

Orion Aon
May 5
4 min read

Purslane is a common plant that everyone should be eating! It grows worldwide, has one of the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in any plant, tastes excellent, and can be used in various preparations. The only negative is that purslane can be high in oxalates, so it should be enjoyed in moderation or avoided entirely if you have a sensitivity or are prone to kidney stones, gout, or other issues that oxalates can exacerbate. Let's learn how to forage purslane! We will review identification, its range and habitats, look-alikes, and how to harvest and eat it!

Stem of purslane with leaves, flowers, and seed capsules held in a hand. — Purslane is a common garden weed.

Description

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea, is a low-growing annual with smooth branching stems that are often slightly reddish in color. The leaves are simple and tend to grow in clusters at the apex of the stem and where it branches. It has tiny yellow flowers with five two-lobed petals. The fruits are small capsules that hold many tiny black-to-brown seeds. A single plant can produce thousands of seeds. The entire plant is semi-succulent.

Flowering purslane growing in worked soil next to some other weeds. — Purslane's succulent leaves, stems, and unique small yellow flowers make it easy to ID!

Range & Habitats

Purslane is found on every continent except Antarctica. It is very common and usually occurs in areas of human disturbance, especially gardens, yards, sidewalks, driveways, and similar habitats. In our garden beds, I allow the purslane to grow as an edible green mulch. It keeps the soil shaded and moist, and adds to the delicious foods our garden grows. It's very common to see in well-travelled urban areas, but remember to forage only from clean sources away from potential contaminants like vehicles or animals.

Hands holding purslane picked from a garden bed. — Purslane makes a great living mulch in garden beds. This one was growing under some herbs and tomatoes.

Potential Look-alikes

Purslane is a pretty safe plant for beginning foragers, but it has one common toxic look-alike you should be aware of. This list is not comprehensive and may not be relevant to your region. Remember only to eat wild foods once you're 100% confident in your identification and comfortable with trying something new.

Spotted spurge, Euphorbia maculata, and other similar species of Euphorbia. Spurges are toxic and commonly found growing next to purslane. Spruge has milky sap and is not succulent like purslane.
Prostrate amaranth, Amaranthus blitoides, could also be confused with purslane. It tends to have larger leaves than purslane and is not succulent. The flowers and fruits are also quite different. This species is also edible.

Purslane (left) growing next to a common look-alike, spotted spurge (right). — Spotted spurge (right) is a common look-alike often found next to purslane (left).

Join The Forage Colorado Newsletter!

early access to foraging events, and more!

Subscribe!

Foraging & Eating Purslane

The leaves and stems are the most commonly eaten parts of purslane. These are usually harvested at the same time and used in the same applications. However, the largest tender stems can be separated and used for pickling, cooking, and more. The seeds are safe to eat and are used for applications such as seed cakes or crackers. However, they are small and take some effort to collect in large numbers. The flowers are also edible, but are very small and usually just eaten along with the leaves and stems.

A seed capsule of purslane opened on the palm of a hand to reveal many tiny black seeds. — Purslane produces many tiny seeds, which can be used for crackers, seed cakes, or as a grain.

Purslane has been eaten worldwide for centuries, and many great recipes and preparations can be found online. Some of my favorites are the recipes from Mexico, where they call it verdolagas, which is the first name I learned for purslane from my dad.

Harvest purslane in the mornings if you prefer a more tart flavor. Purslane has a higher malic acid content overnight due to a natural process called CAM photosynthesis. When cooked, purslane can be mucilaginous or slimy; if you do not like this quality, stick to raw purslane or cook it longer, like in stews or soups. Fermenting also reduces this slimy quality somewhat.

Purslane growing next to a wooden beam and concrete sidewalk. — Purslane is often found in areas that are less than ideal for foraging.

To preserve purslane, blanch it and freeze it. Give it a quick dip in boiling water, shock it in an ice bath, drain or squeeze out the excess water, and vacuum seal. When stored this way, purslane can be kept for a year or more. Pickling and fermenting also work well to preserve purslane. Try making pickles or relish from the larger stems or fermenting the leaves and stems with kimchi spices. It can also be dried, but its high water content doesn’t make this the best method.

The thick stem of purslane held between two hands. — The thick stems of purslane make great pickles and relish!

Foraging Calendar

To learn more about the best seasons to harvest this species and many other wild foods, check out my Foraging Calendar! You can try the demo version to learn more, and join my Patreon to gain full access to the Foraging Calendar and other exclusive perks! Joining is the best way to support all the work I put into my content and website to help you learn about foraging! Thank you for checking it out!