PORTULACA oleracea - Pigweed

A prostrate herb with fleshy, reddish stems and thick, succulent leaves which are oval-shaped and about 25 mm long. Small yellow flowers occur in the leaf bases.
This species was well known to the early settlers who often used the juicy leaves in salads and cooked them as a substitute for spinach. The seeds are also edible and are usually ground and baked into a damper, the leave tips are tastier when picked before the flower develops.

Ideal as a ground cover or between paving.
Adaptable to most soils but prefers an open sunny position, drought and frost resistant.

Endemic to all Australian states except Tasmania.

Please Note: Although many of the traditional Bush Food and Medicine plants are now commercially produced in various forms we recommend you research these before using them as any form of food or medicine. Some parts of the plant may not be edible or some may need to be prepared before they are safe to eat or use in any way. We do our best to describe their traditional & modern uses. It is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure they are fit for their intended use.

Grow notes:

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 20-24°C for this species

1. Sow seed on the surface of a porous seed raising mix. The seed will lodge in the pores of the mix once watered.
2. Sprinkle a very light covering of the seed raising mix over the seed. Do not bury the seed deeply.
3. Water with fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
4. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
5. Keep warm & moist, and avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
6. Germination generally occurs in around 10-21 days in the right conditions.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.