Also known as hogweed. How fortunate is the person who has wild purslane growing freely in their yard or nearby. Its small flowers are only open for the day in succulent leaves. This lovely parcel is quite common and easily found underfoot everywhere because purslane is self-seeding, low and crawling. She can be found in plant stores and on the seed shelves but if you can find it in the wild a sprawling pick a chunk and take her home and you will have more than your share. A wonderful thing to bring in the house.
“If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.”
Let the wild green grow freely and spiritually and on every level of the cosmos. Bend down to touch the earth visiting purslane and the kingdom of nature so simple. Open your eyes and your heart to her beauty and soul. Purslanes stems are pinkish to red, with green leaves whose underneath is more of a gray color. A plant that looks similar is spurge but the leaves are not succulent. As they mature a seed pod appears that when cracked open scatters black seeds all over the ground.
"Ain’t life grand.”
Some say green, some say herb
Purslane is important to your diet. Splendid in salads and omelets and used for healing it really doesn’t matter. Wild purslane is a virtual warehouse of nutrition:
- magnesium,
- folate,
- lithium,
- calcium,
- iron,
- potassium, and
- protein.
- anti-cancerous it is rich in the antioxidant melatonin and has more than any other fruit or vegetable, and
- more omega-3’s than anything else on the planet, 8.5mg for every gram of purslane.
- vitamins A, B, C and
- Six time more vitamin E than spinach, if only Popeye had eaten wild purslane rather than spinach he’d have made one avid lover.
Purslane fields forever. (see video)
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