Purslane: Nutrition, Edible Uses and the Spurge Look-Alike

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a low, spreading plant with thick, succulent leaves and reddish stems. Many gardeners pull it as a weed, and many cooks prize it as a vegetable; it is eaten across Europe, the Middle East and Mexico, where it is called verdolaga. USDA SR Legacy data show that raw purslane is very low in calories and supplies potassium, magnesium and vitamin C, and a peer-reviewed analysis found more alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant omega-3 fat, in its leaves than in spinach leaves. Two cautions matter as much as the nutrition: purslane is high in oxalic acid, and when foraged it can be confused with spurge, a weed with irritating milky sap. This guide covers purslane nutrition, whether it is edible, purslane vs spurge, and how to cook it.

Peptide Labs does not sell purslane or purslane products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is purslane?

The NC State Extension plant database places purslane in the Portulacaceae family, native to Western Asia, Europe and Africa and now found worldwide. Its common names include common purslane, garden purslane and verdolaga. Penn State Extension describes it as a summer annual that forms low mats of succulent stems and leaves, with red to green stems, smooth leaves and small yellow flowers in late summer. Gardeners know it as a stubborn weed: Penn State notes that it spreads mainly by seed but can also root from broken stem pieces.

According to NC State Extension, the stems, leaves and flowers are edible, with a slightly sour and salty taste, and the plant cooks much like spinach. The juicy, crunchy texture of the raw stems is part of the appeal, and the leaves hold up well in salads and quick sautes.

Purslane nutrition (USDA SR Legacy)

The values below come from the USDA SR Legacy entries Purslane, raw (FDC 169274) and Purslane, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 169275), using USDA portion weights of 43 g for a cup of raw purslane and 115 g for a cup of cooked purslane. %DV uses FDA Daily Values. SR Legacy reports no fiber, sugar or vitamin K value for purslane, and gives vitamin A in RAE units only for the cooked entry.

Per 100 grams, USDA lists raw purslane at just 20 calories, so what it brings is minerals: potassium and magnesium stand out, along with moderate vitamin C and iron. Because a cup of raw leaves weighs only 43 grams in USDA data, the per-cup numbers are small; a cup of cooked purslane, which packs down, gives more. Compare it with other greens in our leafy greens list, and see foods high in magnesium and foods high in potassium for context.

Since SR Legacy gives no vitamin K value for purslane, do not assume it is low. MedlinePlus advises people taking warfarin to eat consistent amounts of vitamin K-containing food from week to week; our foods high in vitamin K guide explains why.

Purslane and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

Purslane has a reputation as a plant source of omega-3 fat. The evidence behind it is a 1992 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition by Simopoulos and colleagues, which compared purslane leaves, grown both in the wild and in a growth chamber, with spinach leaves. Both kinds of purslane contained more alpha-linolenic acid than spinach, and the chamber-grown plants had the most. USDA SR Legacy lists no fatty-acid breakdown for purslane, so the ALA figure in the table below comes from that study, not from USDA.

Two points keep that in proportion. First, ALA is not the same as EPA and DHA, the long-chain omega-3s found in fish: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that the body can convert ALA into EPA and then DHA, but the conversion is very limited. Second, purslane is a very lean food; USDA lists only 0.36 grams of total fat per 100 grams, and the Office of Dietary Supplements names plant oils such as flaxseed, soybean and canola oils as ALA sources. Our omega-3 guide explains the differences, and flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts cover other plant sources.

Purslane vs spurge: how to tell them apart

If you pick purslane from a garden bed or a sidewalk crack, the look-alike to know is spurge. Penn State Extension compares purslane with similar-looking weeds and gives a simple test: spurges produce a milky sap when a stem or leaf is broken, and purslane does not. Purslane’s leaves and stems are also thick and succulent, while knotweed, another mat-forming weed, has a papery sheath at the base of its leaves.

The sap is the reason to care. UC IPM, the University of California’s statewide pest management program, describes the milky sap of spurges as poisonous, says the sap of all members of the genus is an eye and skin irritant, and reports that spotted spurge can kill sheep grazing in pastures where it is the main weed.

• Break a stem: milky white sap means spurge, so leave it.
• Feel the leaves: purslane leaves are thick, smooth and fleshy.
• Wear gloves for spurge: UC IPM advises gloves when pulling spurge because the sap can irritate skin.
• When unsure, skip it: eat no wild plant you cannot identify with certainty, and pick only where you know no weed killer was sprayed.

Oxalic acid in purslane

Purslane is one of the greens known for oxalic acid. A 2024 methods paper in MethodsX describes purslane and spinach as species with elevated levels of oxalic acid, an antinutrient that interferes with the bioaccessibility of minerals such as calcium and iron. NC State Extension lists soluble calcium oxalates as purslane’s toxic principle, rates the severity as low, and notes that oxalates can be toxic if eaten in high amounts, particularly for livestock. Our oxalates guide explains what these compounds are and which foods carry the most.

Large amounts have caused harm in people. A 2023 case report in BMC Nephrology described two older adults who developed acute kidney injury attributed to oxalate nephropathy after high dietary consumption of purslane; both needed hemodialysis and were discharged after their kidney function improved. Cooking may change oxalate levels, but results differ: a 2025 study found that blanching and pickling lowered total oxalate, while a 2009 study found that light cooking had no effect, although mixing raw leaves with yogurt lowered the soluble share. People who have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, or who have kidney disease, should ask their clinician how purslane fits their diet.

How to eat purslane

• Raw: tender leaves and stem tips add a crisp, slightly sour and salty bite to salads.
• Cooked: NC State notes it cooks similarly to spinach; stir it into soups, stir-fries, beans or eggs near the end of cooking.
• Shopping: look for it labeled verdolaga at Latin American markets, or at farmers markets in summer, and choose firm, plump stems over wilted bunches.
• Washing: rinse well, since the low-growing stems collect soil and grit.

For another tart green with the same oxalic acid caution, see our guide to sorrel, a lemony herb, and watercress for a peppery green.

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Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Sorrel Herb: Nutrition, Taste, French Sorrel and Oxalic Acid, Omega-3: Benefits, Foods, Side Effects and Heart Research, Oxalates: High Oxalate Foods, Low Oxalate Foods and Kidney Stones.