Is It A Weed, Herb or Groundcover Or Maybe Two Out Of Three?

New Use for Purslane as a Groundcover!

Well, I would say it's at least two out of three.  It is better known as purslane (Portulaca oleracea).  I have always considered it a weed first and now I'm more likely to consider it an herb or a groundcover.  I first learned about it being so good for you from my herbal friend, Jekka McVicar who wrote this fabulous cookbook called Jekka's Herb Cookbook.  She states that "This (purslane) is an important culinary herb as it is one of the few vegetable sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids.  It also contains vitamins A, B and C and minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium."  You can also pickle purslane with sliced garlic, peppercorns and apple cider vinegar.  May try this if I have enough.  The Herbal Husband and I started putting purslane leaves and stems (if not too woody) in our salads after Jekka's visit in 2011.  You can read about Jekka's visit to Pittsburgh in my blog for Mother Earth Living called The Herb Channeler's Adventures with Jekka McVicar.

Just recently Barbara Damrosch in her column for the Washington Post called Dealing with a Glut of Weeds said a friend asked whether she could just leave the purslane instead of pulling it.  Damrosch adds that her husband says that the "soil is much happier with vegetation on it."  Why not purslane?

Well, we had another spectacular day in the 'Burgh!  Hope you had a great one as well and that you have a great weekend!  Talk to you later.