Miner’s Lettuce is an edible wild green native to California and Southern Oregon. It grows during the cool season, finishing up in spring. The succulent greens are heart shaped to round on thick juicy edible stems. The flavor is mild and very much like Chickweed, which occupies the exact same habitat. The two are frequently found growing tangled together. It has been grown as a garden green in some other places, but it’s main value will be found if it will resow itself and become naturalized in the garden. It has naturalized in parts of England at least, where it is called purselane. I’m not sure if it will do so in colder or much warmer climates, but it’s worth a try.

I think this plant as potential to be bred into larger and more interesting forms. Even the native genetics allow the plant to grow large leaves under favorable conditions. If it could be gotten to market, it would easily make a high end green for fancy garnishes and such, but it is very fragile.

If it does not resow itself, it is very easy to save seeds by letting a few plants finish out. Pick it before all the seed is ripe and dry in a mesh bag. The plant can throw it’s seeds at least 6 feet away. It prefers disturbed soils. If the soil is disturbed, Miner’s Lettuce is almost sure to show up within a year or two and can cover a whole area quickly, since each plant is launching it’s seeds out in a large circle. Eventually other plants start to move in and out compete it. It is a true opportunistic pioneer plant. It is also found growing in semi-shady transitions between forest and meadow and openings in the forest, where it can collect enough light with it’s large leaf surfaces, but less shade tolerant plants can’t thrive. Those patches can sometimes persist for long periods of time. Seed was collected from my garden, where it thrives in the disturbed garden beds.