Pick a Bit of Purslane for Your Salad

Put down the weeder and break out the harvest basket. The weed you are trying to kill may be a tasty addition to your salads and sandwiches.

Purslane is an aggressive annual weed that can be found anywhere from cultivated gardens to vacant patches of earth. It grows flat on the ground with thick succulent leaves similar to a jade plant. It spreads by stem pieces and seeds that can last for up to 40 years in the soil. You’ll see more of this weed during hot dry summers.

Harvest young plants and use the leaves fresh in salads and on sandwiches. Stir-fry, puree or steam the leaves and use it as a spinach substitute. Just don’t overcook as it gets a bit slimy.

Be sure to wash the plants before eating and only harvest plants growing in areas where pesticides, including weed killers, have not been used.

If you become a fan of purslane, consider purchasing the seed of varieties bred for better flavor.

A bit more information: If you decide to control this weed, pull the plant before it goes to seed. Then mulch the soil with a one to two inch layer of shredded leaves or evergreen needles to help prevent the seeds from sprouting.