Siberian purslane (Montia sibirica)
Siberian purslane (Montia sibirica)
Decorative and useful, siberian purslane is actually from the north west of the Americas, not Siberia at all.
Siberian purslane
produces copious quantities of succulent salad leaves during less productive times. They love cool woodland, shady conditions though will self-seed and pop up pretty much anywhere.
Very useful as young salad leaves in the late winter and spring when they can form good attractive groundcover, with their tiny pink flowers through the early summer. Sometimes disappearing for a while in the summer they bounce back as soon as things cool down and the rain starts. Although considered an annual they will often go through a winter or two and provide some welcome green at a bleak time of year.
The flavour is not all that strong one way or the other, but they add a lush freshness to a winter and early spring salad. Our chickens love them too...