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Portulaca – the most nutritious weed

Looks like a rubber plant; purplish stems and green leaves, small to medium size, with a white vein in the middle; grows in my garden.

This little plant is called a weed in most gardens, but it’s also prized as a nutritious pot herb in some areas. In Mexico it goes by the name ‘verdolaga’. In France, it’s usually cooked and eaten as a green like spinach, and in other countries it’s valued for the quantities of vitamins and minerals that it gleans from the soil.

You can see more here: Portulaca, and here, Robin tells how she Found it growing in her herb garden.

Happy Succulent Gardening!
Jacki

Comments for Portulaca; weed or edible?

Oct 17, 2021
Portulaca oleracea is a common weedy species but is also edible.
by: cereusly steve

Portulaca oleracea is a hardy weedy species. It is also the type species for the genus Portulaca. It is often seen growing in the most unlikely places including cracks in sidewalks. It is also edible and very nutritious. The is a selection with especially broad leaves named Portulaca oleracea var. sativa.