In an earlier post we shared using foraged purslane in Sonoran Verdolagas Cornbread. Since the monsoon rains have blessed up with ample purslane plants, let’s look at this wonderful native plant – native to the Southwest and also found around the world. Verdolagas is the Spanish name for purslane.
Above cover image of Portulaca oleracea, the common purslane in flower.
Using Purslane or Verdolagas
Purslane is found around the world but if you search “verdolagas” the interweb will show you the dish from central Mexico, where it is cooked in a pork stew. But there are so many other ways to use this tasty green! First, of course, you have to go and harvest some, and that’s what this post is about.
Purslane Use is Ancient
Some places on the interweb will try to tell you that purslane was brought to the New World from Europe, but that is inaccurate. There is clear evidence that the peoples of the Americas had been using purslanes for centuries pre-Contact. I say purslanes – plural (with an s) because there are over 100 species found around the world. There is a list of them at the end of this post.
There is clear evidence that many different species were – and still are – used by local peoples.
Many Species of Purslane
Personally I have seen various species of portulaca for sale in different mercados across the New World, including Mexico, Guatemala, Columbia, and Argentina. I hindsight I wish I had stopped to ask more questions.
The purslane used as the basis for the genus, Portulaca oleacea, the one once cultivated as food, can be found in markets from Greece and clear across Asia into India. There are number of species native to Australia and long used by the Aborigines. On the African continent there are a number of yet different species, most of them considered edible by locals.
While many species of portulaca are annual and live less than a year, this is not always the case. Some species are perennial and form a thick moisture storing tuber below ground. They die back as the seasons change and reappear the following year. Just like the Southwest’s coyote melon. Note that these roots are not commonly eaten.
Some are Endangered
For the succulent plant lovers among my readers I call your attention to Portulaca molokiniensis. Found in a remote dry area of Hawai’i. It is semi-caudiciform and was once thought extinct. Now on the endangered species list, it does grow well from seed. There are several nurseries that offer these charming and unique looking plants grown from seed.
Speaking of growing from seed, you can grow portulaca from seed as a garden plant. That will be on the Gardening With Soule site.
Food for the Forager
Here in the Southwest there are a number of species of purslane you might find as you forage. All are edible.
Southwest is a broad area, and some of these purslanes will be more in Texas and the Chihuahuan biome, while others are more often found in the Sonoran and Mohave side of the Southwest. All are edible, especially once cooked. Some are more palatable than others. We will look at the more common species.
Forage the Purslanes
All purslanes have tiny tufts of silky hairs that you will never notice once cooked. Some have more silks that others. No need to try to clean those silks out.
Common Purslane
Portulaca oleracea is the common purslane from the Old World. It can now be found growing wild as a “weed,” especially in older neighborhoods of the area. It’s the one we featured in our Verdolagas cornbread. It’s a popular summer green in a number of Greek, Croatian, Italian, and Indian dishes.
Silk Cotton Purslane
Portulaca halimoides is native to the New World and found across the central and southern United States and generally throughout tropical America. I have found it growing along roads in Vermont, the seeds possibly carried by muddy tires. Common name is silk cotton purslane for the tuft of silky hairs found around the flowers.
Silky? Pshaw! The next two common Southwest desert portulacas say “Hold my beer!” They have got some “silky!”
Kiss-Me-Quick
Portulaca pilosa, shaggy purslane, or kiss-me-quick. Found in Texas, into New Mexico and eastern Arizona, as well as Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon.
I first saw this plant in the Lost Maples State Park in Texas. The park ranger called it by it’s common Texas name. He made quite the point of saying it was the common name and he wasn’t trying to be inappropriate.
The name comes from the fact that each delicate little flower lasts only one day. Another member of the tour group complained that it was a stupid weed that kept coming up in her garden. I was able to tell the group that purslanes are edible and suggested she cook it. Karen wasn’t going to eat any weeds, so I refrained from sharing that lettuce was once considered a weed until plant breeders got to work.
Shrubby Purslane
I am entirely unsure how this little, low growing purslane got this common name of “shrubby.” It never gets shrubby! Portulaca suffructescens is called shrubby purslane and also copper purslane.
I prefer the copper purslane as a common name because it does have a coppery tint to the blooms. This one is found across the Southwest and into western Mexico. It is one of the summer greens historically used by the O’odham.
Reminder – Correct Identification
AI could kill you. It gets plant identification wrong all the time. Don’t use phone apps to ID plants. And never for mushrooms.
Reminder – Moderation
As with any new food, don’t eat a massive amount the first time. Baby yourself. Babies only get one new food in a 24 hour period and that rule is good for adults as well.
If you are just starting out with purslane, may I suggest NOT serving it as a steamed vegetable. I love it, and people around the world love it, but if you grew up eating only the same 30 vegetables from the supermarket, it may take a bit of getting used to. Some purslane leaves in a salad might be good, or use them the cornbread recipe we shared.
Verdolagas May be a Kino Plant
European verdolagas (if that is not an oxymoron), the Portulaca oleracea, was perhaps brought into the Southwest in Father Kino’s time. Some people want to use time travel to go back and look at history. I want to go back an look at plant use!
List of Portulaca species found around the world is further below.
And Here’s Our Cookbook!
May we suggest our dandy little cookbook?
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From the review:
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You can buy it on this secure selling site. You can also mail us a check and we will send you a copy. Details under “Special Orders” on that site.
Copyright
© Article copyright Jacqueline A. Soule. All rights reserved. You must ask permission to republish an entire blog post or article. Okay to use a short excerpt – but you must give proper credit to Savor the Southwest. You must include a link to the original post on this site. No stealing photos.
Disclaimer
The authors of this website have researched the edibility of the materials we discuss, however, humans vary in their ability to tolerate different foods, drinks, and herbs. Individuals consuming flowers, plants, animals or derivatives mentioned in this blog do so entirely at their own risk. The authors on this site cannot be held responsible for any adverse reaction. In case of doubt please consult your medical practitioner.
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The following species of Portulaca are found around the world. Portulaca africana – African purslane – Western Africa to south China Portulaca almeviae – Mexico Portulaca amilis – Paraguayan purslane – Peru to Brazil and Argentina Portulaca anceps – Ethiopia Portulaca argentinensis – Argentina Portulaca aurantiaca – Jamaican purslane – Jamaica Portulaca australis – Australian purslane – Australia & West Pacific Portulaca badamica – India Portulaca bicolor – Australian pigweed – Australia Portulaca biloba – Cuban purslane – Cuba Portulaca brevifolia – Cuba to Haiti & Venezuela Portulaca bulbifera – Ethiopia, Kenya Portulaca californica – Baja purslane – western Mexico Portulaca canariensis – Canary purslane – Canary Islands Portulaca cardenasiana – Bolivia Portulaca caulerpoides – Puerto Rican purslane – Puerto Rico Portulaca centrali-africana – Congo to NW Tanzania Portulaca chacoana – the chaco of Paraguay to NE Argentina Portulaca ciferrii – S Somalia to SE Kenya Portulaca clavigera – Western Australia Portulaca colombiana – Colombian purslane – Colombia, Venezuela Portulaca commutata – S Ethiopia to N Tanzania Portulaca confertifolia – Argentina Portulaca conoidea – Kenya Portulaca constricta – narrow purslane – Ethiopia, Somalia Portulaca conzattii – Mexico to Central America Portulaca coralloides – Kenya Portulaca cryptopetala – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay Portulaca cubensis – Cuban purslane – Cuba Portulaca cyclophylla – Western Australia Portulaca cypria – Mediterranean Portulaca daninii – Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Suriname Portulaca decipiens – Australia Portulaca decorticans – Kenya, Somalia Portulaca dhofarica – Oman Portulaca diegoi – Brazil Portulaca digyna – Australia Portulaca dodomaensis – Tanzania Portulaca echinosperma – Argentina Portulaca edulis – edible purslane – Cyprus Portulaca elatior – Caribbean into tropical South America Portulaca elongata – Argentina, Bolivia, Peru Portulaca eruca – Argentina, Paraguay Portulaca erythraeae – Eritrea, Sudan Portulaca fascicularis – Kenya, Tanzania Portulaca filifolia – narrow-leaf purslane – Australia Portulaca filsonii – Australia Portulaca fischeri – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda Portulaca fluvialis – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay Portulaca foliosa – Africa to the Arabian Peninsula Portulaca fragilis – Bolivia Portulaca frieseana – Brazil Portulaca fulgens – Argentina Portulaca gilliesii – Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay Portulaca giuliettiae – Brazil Portulaca goiasensis – Brazil Portulaca gracilis – Bolivia Portulaca grandiflora – moss-rose purslane – native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay Portulaca grandis – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda Portulaca granulatostellulata – warm Mediterranean to Indian Ocean Portulaca greenwayi – Kenya Portulaca guanajuatensis – Guanajato, Mexico Portulaca halimoides – silkcotton purslane – Central U.S. to tropical Americas Portulaca hatschbachii – Brazil Portulaca hereroensis – Tanzania to S. Africa Portulaca heterophylla – Tanzania Portulaca hirsutissima – Brazil Portulaca hoehnei – Brazil Portulaca howellii – Galápagos Portulaca humilis Peter – Tanzania Portulaca impolita – temperate North America Portulaca insignis – Venezuela Portulaca intraterranea – Australia Portulaca johnstonii – Mexico Portulaca juliomartinezii – Mexico Portulaca kermesina – southern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula Portulaca kuriensis – Socotra Portulaca lakshminarasimhaniana – India Portulaca lutea – yellow purslane – Pacific Portulaca macbridei – Peru Portulaca macrantha – Canary Islands, Morocco Portulaca macrorhiza – Lesser Sunda Islands Portulaca macrosperma – large seed purslane – Bolivia Portulaca masonii – Mexico Portulaca massaica – Kenya, Tanzania Portulaca matthewsii – Mexico Portulaca mauritiensis – Chagos Archipelago, Mascarenes Portulaca mexicana – Mexican purslane – Mexico Portulaca meyeri – Argentina Portulaca minensis – southern Brazil Portulaca minuta – tiny purslane – Florida, Bahamas Portulaca molokiniensis – Hawaiian Islands Portulaca monanthoides – Socotra Portulaca mucronata – Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela Portulaca mucronulata – Argentina, Brazil Portulaca nicaraguensis – Florida, Texas, Guatemala, Nicaragua Portulaca nitida – Europe to Central Asia, N. Africa Portulaca nivea – Peru Portulaca nogalensis – Somalia Portulaca oblonga – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania Portulaca obtusa – Argentina Portulaca obtusifolia – Argentina Portulaca okinawensis – Ryukyu Islands Portulaca oleracea L. – common purslane, pigweed – Macaronesia, Tropical Africa, Mediterranean into India Portulaca oligosperma – Australia Portulaca olosirwa – Kenya Portulaca papillatostellulata – Europe and Mediterranean Portulaca papulifera – Argentina Portulaca papulosa – Argentina, Uruguay Portulaca paucistaminata – Cuba Portulaca perennis – perennial purslane – Argentina, Bolivia, Peru Portulaca peteri – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania Portulaca philippii – Bolivia, Chile Portulaca pilosa – kiss-me-quick, shaggy purslane – Hawaiian Islands, southern North America into tropical & subtropical South America Portulaca psammotropha – Southern China to Philippines Portulaca pusilla – Colombia, Venezuela Portulaca pygmaea – Colombia, Venezuela Portulaca quadrifida – chickenweed purslane – tropical & subtropical Old World to south Pacific Portulaca ragonesei – Argentina Portulaca ramosa – Tanzania Portulaca rausii – Mediterranean Portulaca rhodesiana – South Africa, Zimbabwe Portulaca rotundifolia – Argentina, Bolivia Portulaca rubricaulis – redstem purslane – tropical Americas, Florida, Mexico, into Caribbean, Venezuela to Ecuador Portulaca rzedowskiana – high elevations of central Mexico Portulaca samhaensis – Socotra Portulaca samoensis – New Guinea to southwest Pacific Portulaca sanctae-martae – Colombia Portulaca sardoa – Corsica, Sardinia Portulaca saxifragoides – Angola Portulaca sclerocarpa – ʻIhi makole – Hawaiian Islands Portulaca sedifolia – French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela Portulaca sedoides – Angola Portulaca sicula – Sicilia Portulaca smallii – Small's purslane – Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Portulaca socotrana – Socotra Portulaca somalica – Somalia Portulaca stellulatotuberculata – starry purslane – Paraguay Portulaca stuhlmannii – Tanzania Portulaca suffrutescens – copper purslane, shrubby purslane – Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon Portulaca suffruticosa – India, Sri Lanka Portulaca sundaensis – Lesser Sunda Islands Portulaca thellusonii – Brazil Portulaca tingoensis – Argentina, Peru Portulaca trianthemoides – Limpopo Portulaca trituberculata – Canary Islands, Mediterranean Portulaca tuberculata – Cuba, Cayman Islands Portulaca tuberosa – Indian subcontinent to N. Australia Portulaca umbraticola – wingpod purslane – Mexico into tropical America Portulaca werdermannii – Brazil Portulaca wightiana – South Africa to Ethiopia, India, Sri Lanka Portulaca yecorensis – western Mexico Portulaca zaffranii – Mediterranean
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