Herb: Sea Purslane


Latin name: Halimione portulacoides


Synonyms: Atriplex portulacoides, Obione portulacoides


Family: Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)



Edible parts of Sea Purslane:

Leaves - raw in salads or cooked as a potherb. Thick and succulent with a good crunchy texture and a natural saltiness. They need careful washing when collected from the wild.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
75 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Salt marshes, especially fringing channels and pools, usually flooded at full tide.

Propagation of Sea Purslane:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. The seed germinates from winter onwards. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Division in spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Salt marshes, especially fringing channels and pools, usually flooded at full tide.

Medicinal use of Sea Purslane:

None known

Known hazards of Halimione portulacoides:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.