History

• Purslane was and still is used by cooks around the world. The ancient Greeks made flour from the seeds, and contemporary Mexican cooks serve purslane with pork and eggs.
  
  

Warning

• Purslane is considered an invasive weed by many gardeners. It is an annual plant and can reproduce both from seeds and from pieces of stem.
  
  

Seeds

• The seeds of purslane can remain viable for as long as 40 years, which makes this plant particularly hard to eradicate if viewed as a weed. When grown in the edible garden, the flower heads should be pinched off before going to seed to keep the plant from spreading.
  
  

Types

• For edible gardening, the two most common types of purslane are Golden Purslane and Green Purslane.
  
  

Significance

• Purslane is high in vitamin C and carotene and is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.