For those of you who know @papa-pepper, you know that I prefer plants that I can eat.
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.
- 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?
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
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
@papa-pepper, I've always loved purslane, and I got seeds for it once it just never grew... though maybe my dog ate it and we'll never know! My mom has a degree in botany and I showed her this post and she said (I'm translating this from Icelandic haha) - it's good.. he just should have added in the scientific name, portulaca oleracea! Anywho I loved your post! I was actually gonna start doing a botany series on the flowers, and herbs in my family's garden. So I call dibs on rosemary and roses! Just kidding, I'll defer to your posts first and foremost! Say hi to the @little-peppers for me!
Yeah, the scientific name, right! Thanks!
I'm glad your mom told you to include the scientific name, its kind of pretty and suits that flower as its also pretty. :D
so beautiful, i am happy to just look at it
omg.... so amazing!
It is an amazing plant!
Those might be the prettiest colors on a purslane that I've ever seen! Sadly, the wild version just doesn't grow on my land, so I planted a bunch in pots and raised beds. It reseeded itself just as you thought it would and I haven't had to plant purslane in a couple of years now. It doesn't seem to care about the burnin' Texas sun either! Thanks for another great post. If It's okay, let me just add that if someone does choose to buy purslane at the nursery for pretties AND eaties, then they may wish to wait until the plant grows out a bit. The ones in the big box stores are often sprayed like crazy with pesticides. You may wish to wait for clean foliage to grow in. Thanks again, and hope I didn't offend by adding in my two cents!
That's so true for plants from nurseries, big box stores, and other commercial sources for pretty plants, like the local grocery store, quick-mart, or hardware store. Between fertilizers and pesticides, eating straight from the planter wouldn't be a good idea. It does keep people from grazing the plants they have for sale, though, lol!
Hahaha, I suppose you've got a point there! No one will be sampling the merchandise!
I've been tempted to sample some plants myself, so it's probably good that the stores do that!
I bet it stops the grazers! LOL!
You are right! The folks I got this from have their own organic nursery and greenhouse, and don't use the nasty stuff. However, often it would be covered in pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which are not good to eat! Thanks for adding that!
**AWESOME..!! :D @papa-pepper **
Thanks! He's really freakin out there isn't he?
Purslane is indeed a "super food." It's full of the minerals that most of us, no matter how clean our diets are, are short on. We had it just show up as a weed in our front yard here in the desert southwest. I juice it along with vegetables. Thank you for the article because it's important that people know you can get a lot of bang for your buck with purslane.
That is right, foods like this are so good for you. I am glad that you have your own growing and that you are enjoying eating it!
upvote nice job i love nature
Thank you!
I just love edible flowers, I've noticed more and more restaurants using them and now can't get enough!
I'll have to check on the actual flowers, as I've always just eaten the leaves. I do love a good, tasty flower though!
Great post, very informative. I did not know that you could eat the leaves, but I will try them.
I'm new here on steemit, just getting started.
I will follow you
Adding this flower to my salad will be great as you indicated that it is edible. Always enjoy your posts
Actually, I've never tried the flower itself, just the leaves, but they are amazing.
Great, then try it first (as the original poster) before I do ...I am sure it will be great
Don't invite @papa-pepper over, he'll eat all your flowers! <3
Hey, I won't eat all the flowers, just the edible ones!
Plz tell me how i will earn from here like u
Work very hard every day to put out the best posts, comment often with good comments on the posts of others. Be encouraging, generous, and honest. Keep learning how to do a better job and apply what you learn. Help out when you can, and work hard at it, very hard at it, every day.
Thnks alot @papa-pepper 😙😙
Great info and nice pictures @papa-pepper!
I really did like the photos too @tonyr! They present the plant in all its marvelous beauty!
I would fear to eat thouse, but they're so beautiful that it would be a crime to do so:) Please don't eat my followers, ha-ha (addition to @clayboyn comment:)
The leaves are very tasty, so I leave the flowers alone. Thanks @inber!
Very nice plant. But i' m not sure about me eating them raw or cooked them like a vegetable.
I wasn't sure either, but I really like the taste now @melowd!
On a side note, are you familiar with the singer Mellow D?
Glad that taste good. No i'm not. Can you tell me about the singer?
This is great i only grow edibles now.Thanks I hope they grow well in Florida.
I bet that they would grow well down there! Give it a try. I might even have some seeds from this one later on this year!
How can something so beautiful be called a weed? And the leaves are so nutritious. Who knew? You did but not me. And thanks to you, I now know. Sounds like this plant (weed) is a win-win. Sounds like a win-win for you and your wife as well. :)
A win-win all the way! Thank you @whatisnew!
Nice picture of you with the beautiful flower @papa-pepper 100 % upvoted from @chanthasam.
Thank you very much @hanthasam! I like to include the self to show proof-of-work/proof-of-stake LOL!
I´ve never heard about these ones... look great as ornamental as well... really colorful ! You seem to have a great garden @papa-pepper !!
I try to have a great garden, and will be working in it for the rest of my life @dontstopmenow. It is a beautiful plant to be sure!
I've been trying to find purslane in the wild forever. I've never seen it in Texas. Those flowers as so striking! Maybe I should just buy some! : )
To get flowers like this, you would have to buy some. The wild stuff is all over back in Wisconsin and it is down here in Arkansas too. I can't specifically remember encountering any in Texas, but I'll check the next time I head down.
Oh, I just remembered, @jed78 said he had a lot of it growing by his place in Texas.
These are stunning!!! I have never seen our Purslane have flowers like that. I found out about this amazing plant at an Edible Weeds workshop, usually down here (NZ) it is treated as a weed and disposed of. I can't get over those flowers!!! Thanks @papa-pepper
These were the first flowers that I saw that were this striking. I think the wild ones here have smaller yellow flowers. They taste the same though, so these win on looks!
Wow that really stands out. My wife will want this for sure. Thanks for sharing.
I suppose that you best get her some then. When she is not watching, you can pop in for a quick snack @saved4newlife!
O wow! That is beautiful and striking! I am the same way, I only plant things that have a purpose other than looking pretty (which is always a plus), it must be edible or have at least some medicinal property to it. I will need to see if I can get my hands on this and if it will grow in our very wet climate.
It may grow there @raincountry, so you might as well look into it. Thanks for checking out my post.
I'm with you on the medicinal or edible properties.
I looked this up and well yes I'm sure it's free but interested me enough to look it up and saw it on amazon for 3 bucks for 1000 seeds, what the hell! I ordered it.
Good idea, it should reproduce every year for you from your own plants that reseed, so that three bucks could provide you with a lifetime of healthy food @buster544!
Thank you for the education. Upvoted and Resteemed.
I am glad that you liked it @gardengirlcanada! Now you know!
I have never even seen or heard of this plant and with those colors I bet the bees can't keep away from them.
Well, now you have heard of it. Good thing you checked it out @sandhillson.
Such a beautiful superfood. Got to try this.
You really should, maybe I could get you some seeds like all those other ones that you are planting.
Make sure to give those Kiwanos plenty of room to grow too, since they like to run man!
Thanks. I saw a youtube where they took over this guys entire greenhouse. I am actually going to grow them on my deck, up one side of the gazebo for a living privacy barrier. At least, that's the plan. You'll see.
Wow, these flowers are beautiful, I never even heard of them before. I only plant stuff I can eat, now I can finally plant flowers that I can eat too!
Yes you can, and some beautiful ones at that @motormouth!
I love a good plant that can feed me, so I know where you are coming from man.
I love this <3
Glad to hear it @sweetiebo! Thanks for checking it out!
I love it when there is a plant that grows well in poor soil, it beautiful, and is edible. Sounds like dandelions. So many around here are constantly spraying to kill "weeds" when I am happy to have them in my yard as possible food for me, and definite food for my chickens, sheep, cows, pigs, ducks, etc. I had never heard of Purslane, I'll have to see what varieties grow here in Michigan. Thanks for enlightening me today. God bless.
For a bit more info on the wild variety, you can check this post https://steemit.com/food/@papa-pepper/the-edible-outdoors-11-purslane
It is from many months ago, but I think you may enjoy it. Thank you @homesteaddad!
wow those are really beautiful. Very cool... thanks for sharing with us!
Thank you for letting me share and checking it out! I appreciate that!
I like the pic of you behind the flowers lol you are a beauty! Thanks for sharing! :))
LOL! Very funny @cyberblock!
What a great post. Besides the great content and picture, I think your formatting is really good. Easy read, like having a conversation.
I'm new to steemit and I just love it!
Thank you Papa-pepper!
That's pretty interesting and those flowers are georgous. I've heard of purslane but never tried nor knew that it was capable of such beauty. Or that it was even a superfood honestly. I need to try some now. I love arugula and can eat it by itself (yes i know kind of unrelated ) but it popped into my mind. Thanks for the informative post
I really enjoy eating things by themselves and just enjoying them for what they are. Thanks @chelsea88!
Wild Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is such a good weed. I like to chop it up and mix a lot of it in yogurt with some wild sumac spice. That's good for any bar-b-que or gyros! And it's great in smoothies or salads, or on a sandwich. Don't be shy with it - enjoy it! And those domesticated flowering ones you got a spectacular! That's a great combination plant to keep going across the years!
Hopefully we will have it for years to come. I love the wild stuff too.
Gyros sound great with the Purslane flavor! Great idea!
You'll have the wild purslane for years to come, for sure. It will be interesting to see if your domestic ones produce true-to-seed, or whether they revert to a more primitive form. Garden experiment ahead! :D
Awesome! And extremely beautiful as well!
It sure is. Thanks @rockchickjen!
I have it all over my yard its yummy...I have never seen it flower...interesting
Yup, yours is the wild stuff. Plant breeders can eventually make ones like this variety.
Very nice, I would like one like this.
At least you have seen the photos now! Thanks @roseri!
@_@
...
I'm sure I'll stop staring eventually...
LOL, feel free to keep staring! Thanks @iceflower!
Well if you put it that way... Maybe I WILL! ^,^
-goes back and looks some more-
EDIT: Yup. Still awesome. Bookmarked it.
fantastic photo beautiful colours i knew you could eat them but have never seen those colours. Stunning.
My first time seeing these colors too. I jut had to buy them!
I must say, I've never seen purslane with flowers like that! What grows in my garden is wild purslane.
My first time too, so I picked it up. Might have extra seeds at the end of the year too!
Wow, neat information! Thanks!
Thank you for checking it out and enjoying it!
You're welcome!
Beautiful flowers:) The combination of the colors is just amazing! Thanks for such an informative post! Didn't know they were edible! Looking forward to more posts! Upvoted!! :) Thank you for sharing.
In Africa we find a common low plant which is a variety of Purslane but there is also a perrenial here, a relative of purslane, Portulacaria Afra I think it is. Similar edible properties but will grow to cover a hillside in the Karoo semi desert in Southern Africa.
Beautiful and edible! Awesome combination! I love the pretty colors. You are so sweet to incorporate lovely things that you can shower your wife with while being practical about it.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Look forward to seeing more from you!
Want that garde, beautiful flowers
I've seen purslane many times but I've never seen one with such glorious flowers! Thanks for sharing :)
iam just said WOW to @papa-pepper
Is that really what purslane's flowers can look like?? I've eaten an enjoyed it for years while foraging, but I had no idea it could look so beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing! I got the head's-up about your channel from Rain Country and An American Homestead, and I'm glad I came!