Wild Purslane in Your Garden: Edible, Nutritious & Easy to Identify

Yes, It's Edible—And Delicious

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a global culinary green—tangy, succulent, rich in omega-3s. Wild forms often have yellow flowers; pink-flowered variants exist.

Confirm ID Before Eating

Take a sample to your County Extension Agent for positive ID. (Provide location for contact info.) Key traits:

• Prostrate, reddish stems.
• Thick, spoon-shaped, succulent leaves.
• Tiny yellow (or pink) flowers opening in sun.
• Milky sap? No—that's spurge (toxic). Purslane has clear sap.

Kitchen Uses

• Raw in salads (lemony crunch).
• Stir-fried with garlic (Mexican verdolagas).
• Pickled, in soups, omelets.

Harvest young stems; older ones get fibrous. Free food from your "weeds"!