Purslane

Portulaca oleracea

Purslane is a juicy, lightly tart green with crisp stems and fleshy leaves. Its texture is more succulent than spinach, even after heat.¹

Further notes

Purslane is one of Maine’s best-known garden weeds; its fleshy leaves, reddish stems, and low mat-forming habit are useful field marks.¹

The entire above-ground plant is edible, including the tiny black seeds. Crushed leaves feel slippery because the plant contains mucilage—the same broad sort of texture-making plant material found in okra.¹²

Footnotes

1. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Facts on Edible Wild Greens in Maine,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. University of Illinois Extension, “Purslane: Weed It or Eat It?,” 2003. ↩