BEAUTIFUL & EDIBLE - DUAL PURPOSE GARDEN PLANT - PURSLANE

For those of you who know @papa-pepper, you know that I prefer plants that I can eat.

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The way I figure it, if something is going to be cared for by my family or taking up some of our space, we would like something in return to the privilege. Of course, I also have a beautiful wife that I like to shower with lovely things, so flowers can be a bonus to have around. Just look at how striking these ones are.

PURSLANE

This wonderful plant is a succulent that does very well in poor soil and even hot climates. Not only do some varieties have some amazing flowers, this common "weed" can be found in many countries all over the world. Unfortunately for those who consider it to be a weed, they are really missing out on some nutrition.

These succulent leaves are tasty and can be either be eaten raw or cooked like a vegetable. Some people will use them in salads or salsas, and many even consider it to be a super-food. In my Edible Outdoors post featuring wild Purslane, I pointed out the following nutritional benefits.

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• More Vitamin E than Spinach
• More Beta Carotene than Carrots
• Excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C
• Riboflavin
• Considered by some to be a super-food

Thought the flowers of this variety can be distracting, the leaves are a welcome guest on our plates anytime. The flower colors and sizes with vary by variety, but the plant can be recognized even without any flowers on it by the trained eye. This is some wild Purslane that I found growing in the garden.

It is a different variety than the ones that I bought at the greenhouse, but it still has the same great flavor.

If it grows wild, why are you buying it?

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I enjoy expanding the varieties that I have available, so I am always seeking to diversify. The Purslane plant is an annual, so it only grows for one year. Fortunately, the plant produces a lot of seeds. This means that I should be able to grow my own from seed with what this plant produces. Also, if I get some growing in an area where we like it, it should be able to reseed itself, and act like a perennial even though it is an annual, meaning that it could show up in the same place year after year.

We will see what happens, but for now, @mama-pepper has some pretty flowers to look at and I have another plant that I can eat. It's not really a compromise, but more of a complementary relationship. For those of you who are limited on space, why not find a beautiful variety like this and have your own potted edible beauty growing on your porch or balcony?

Have any of you ever tried Purslane? If so, was it wild or one of the ones that plant breeders have created?

As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:

proof-of-edible-beauty

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Until next time…

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