Portulaca oleracea – “Common Purslane”

Also Known As: Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, Red Root, Pursley, Moss Rose
Family: Purslane (Portulaceae)
Bloom Period: May-Sep
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Primarily in human-disturbed areas
Leaves: Ovate, succulent, reddish on margins; arranged in clumps along the stems
Translation: “Portulaca” is Latin for “small door,” and refers to the seed pods which have a lid that opens; “oleracea” is a Latin word that can be translated as meaning, “like a kitchen vegetable.”
Notes: An Old World plant that accompanied the European Invasion and is now widespread throughout the Americas. It is edible and medicinal, but has too many uses to list here.
Native American Uses: Greens eaten raw or cooked by a variety of Native American tribes throughout this plant’s extensive range. The Western Keres used an infusion of the leaf stems internally to treat diarrhea and topically for blood clots. They also rubbed raw leaves in the mouth “for difficulty in opening the mouth” (Moerman). The Navajo used it for stomachaches.