Portulaca oleracea

Purslane is a succulent superfood high in Omega-3's, btw...

And flowering varieties even have larger, stunning, prolific neon blooms too!
http://bradpetehoops.blogspot.com/2014/06/purselane-kulasiman-gulasiman-ulasimanpu.html

You can often find it sold in fresh produce in Mexican supermarkets.. But for some reason, ignorant North Americans simply try to eradicate it like a useless weed. I guess if it grows very easily with no maintenance...then it "can't" be good???

Here is a link that might be useful: Purslane

Thanks! I can't say I'm going to eat it, but I like the way it looks, so I don't intend to remove it. If it comes back next year it will have to move though -- it's a bit close to my lavender.

I totally agree with you on ignorance of plants. Ignorance extends to insects too, or at least it does in my neighborhood.

its a horribly aggressive reseeding weed in my garden ... you wont need to move it.. it will be everywhere .... i am pretty sure its an annual weed ...

make your own choice.. if you wish to encourage it.. all the power to ya ..

but you might live to regret that decision ..

ken

Empress - 'comes back next year'....It's an annual. It will self sow with abandon and new seedlings will appear next year when the weather gets warm enough. As for pulling it out, seeds (many hundred) will mature in the pods even if the plant is pulled and left with its roots turned upward. Seeds can remain viable in the soil for many decades. The plant itself is frost tender, and will be killed by the first fall freeze. .

I should point out that it is growing near some irises that I didn't plant and don't really like, a butterfly bush (which, in my area, supposedly grow like weeds), a Rose of Sharon (again, like weeds), and the lavender I just planted (which is happily growing through this plant).

I rent, so the grass is not my problem and has spots here and there from the neighbor kids, neighborhood trash, and my dog's "pee spots." If this was my yard I'd maybe be more concerned. As long as it doesn't affect my bushes or make its way around to the front of our row where my "real" garden is, I don't care where it grows.