Never Uproot This Plant If It Appears in Your Garden”
This viral headline is most often referring to purslane (Portulaca oleracea)—a low-growing plant with fleshy, oval leaves, reddish stems and small yellow flowers. It is edible and is sometimes deliberately harvested rather than treated as a weed.
Why gardeners may want to keep it
- 🥗 Edible: Purslane is used in salads, soups and cooked dishes in several cuisines.
- 🌿 Nutrient-rich: It provides fiber, vitamins, minerals and plant-based omega-3 (ALA).
- 🌱 Ground cover: Its spreading growth can cover bare soil and compete with other weeds.
- 🐝 Part of the garden ecosystem: Leaving some flowering plants can provide resources for insects and other wildlife.
⚠️ But don’t eat an unidentified plant
This is the most important part that viral articles often skip. Purslane can be confused with spurge, which produces a milky white sap and should not be eaten. Proper identification is essential before consuming any wild plant.
Also, purslane can spread readily and produce lots of seed, so you don’t necessarily want it taking over vegetable beds.
Bottom line: If the plant is correctly identified as purslane and isn’t competing with your crops, there’s a good reason to consider harvesting or leaving some of it rather than automatically pulling it out. But “never uproot it” isn’t a universal gardening rule—the right choice depends on the plant and where it’s growing.
If you send me a photo of the plant in your garden, I can help you determine what it is.
