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Dieren en planten

Plants   Winter purslane   Oleaster family   Sea buckthorn   Dune flora   White flowers   

Water en land

Dune areas   Dunes (biotope)   

Mens en Milieu

Winter purslane

size:

plant: 10-20 centimeters
leaves: 2-3 centimeters

color:

leaves: green
flowers: white or pink

blossoms:

April-June

reproduction:

seeds

life span:

annual

  • Dut: Witte winterpostelein (Doorwas, Cubaspinazie)
  • Lat: Claytonia perfoliata
  • Eng: Winter purslane (Miner's-lettuce, Cuban spinach, Spring beauty)
  • Ger: Tellerkraut (Kubaspinat, Kragenportulak)
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Winter purslane, foto fitis, sytske dijksen

Winter purslane

What's unusual about winter purslane is that it has no problem surviving severe winters. It is a fleshy edible plant, containing lots of vitamin C and minerals. No wonder its nicknames are lettuce or spinach. Winter purslane is easy to recognize. Besides being one of the few herbal plants that is a bright healthy green in the winter, the rosettes of long stems end in a dish-like leaf. Actually, it is a pair of leaves which have united into one. The tiny flowers emerge from the middle of the dish.

  • Distribution and habitat

    Winter purslane is not native to the Netherlands, having originated in North America. However, it grows very well here in sandy soils, particularly in the dunes and wadden region. You often find it growing under sea buckthorn.