Is there a way to tell the ornamental from the weedy type? For the last couple years, I've planted a lot of purslane and portulaca and kept the bed well-weeded. The portulaca has reseeded nicely. Does purslane come back from seed, even if it may not be the same colors as before? Or do I have tons of the weedy type, which is normal for my area?

Purslane that is weedy usually has small yellow blooms. The ornamental has brighter and larger blooms of all colors. Both can happily take over a garden bed.

Thanks ~ I was kinda hoping to skip the flower / seed stage. I'll try to watch and see if there is a difference in the stems and foliage.

And take a photo if you can and then I can tell for sure

I did see a couple small yellow flowers here and there so I decided to pull them all. They are utter thugs compared to the portulaca that is in the bed. Last thing I need is to cultivate more weeds!

Thanks for the photo. I've always wondered what the name of that ugly weed is. I sure get a lot of it and Preen doesn't seem to touch it.

And yet...I envy you. Wild purslane doesn't seem to do well here, and I'd love to have it on my property! I eat purslane, BTW!

I just don't find the peppery, lemon flavor that everyone talks about. I'd bet Susan and I could each send you a handful of soil and it would be so full of seed you'd have a whole crop. A little trivia, just for fun ~

From http://www.chicagotribune.com/... :

Known formally as portulaca oleracea, and informally as little hogweed, purslane is a succulent herb that looks, as one Baltimore chef put it, like a miniature jade plant. A more colorful description can be found in seed catalogs, which note that in Malawi, the name for the fleshy, round-leafed plant translates to "the buttocks of the wife of a chief."

That description of ''buttocks '' does not make it sound tasty at all

I too eat it and do find it tasty especially with a bit of Italian dressing.
Linda, maybe you could grow some in a hanging pot. I do because my nasty cats use the area where it grows wild.

Oh, I DO have the ornamental kind growing in pots in fresh potting soil! And sometimes some of the other will come up in my veggie garden, but never does very well. And elsewhere on my place, it won't even grow at all. My place is not a good location for certain plants. Especially since all the years of drought. The water here is not very good and I think during droughts stuff from the irrigation water builds up...and until we get some good years with adequate rainfall, it won't get flushed out...at least, that's my theory. Other plants do okay in spite of all this, as long as they get a little water.

Geez, we have it everywhere. AS....weed!
Never thought it could be eaten.
I read it's mainly used raw in salads?
I should give it a try.
And... force feed my parents too

Be really careful you don't eat spurge which is not a good thing.

SPURGE


Take a few minutes to browse this forum for so much more information on purslane and portulaca too.

One of my favorites~

No worries, I know purslane by heart. Even dream about it.
When a few days pass, I start worrying my dear purslane has already produced SEEDS

Purslane and Spurge are the two worst weeds this time of the year here. Also fighting thistle, clover, dandelions and a variety of little trees. Not sure what is the hardest to control. Oh, I forgot morning glory seedlings. Pulling a lot of them too.

for me i think my worst nightmare is ......... that bindweed???

Forgot that one. I try to put bad thoughts out of my mind. It's really bad here this year.

It really is ~ terrible.