Across French gardens, winter purslane is slipping back into favour. It carpets bare soil, shrugs off frost, and offers crisp leaves long after lettuces collapse. For growers tired of failed winter crops, it brings control, predictability and a steady bowl of greens when daylight fades.
When frost bites, winter purslane takes the stage
The first sharp nights arrive. Plants stall, then vanish. Yet this small rosette pushes on, unfurling neat, spoon-shaped leaves that stay tender in biting air. Under the name winter purslane or claytonia (Claytonia perfoliata), it bridges the hungry gap between late autumn and early spring. Demand has surged as home growers hunt for crops that deliver when mercury dips.
Cold resilience drives the comeback. Where scarole, chicory and most lettuces bruise and rot, claytonia keeps its poise. Gardeners now sow it as insurance, filling gaps between brassicas and leeks, and lining the edges of raised beds, balconies and cold frames.
Sow in October or early November, harvest from December to March, and keep cutting every 10–14 days.
A hardy throwback with modern appeal
Native to cool regions of North America, winter purslane crossed the Atlantic centuries ago. Then it slipped from the mainstream as tender salads took the limelight. Urban veg patches and tiny courtyards have revived it. The plant stays compact, tolerates dappled shade, and needs little watering, which suits busy lives and tight spaces.
How it shrugs off frost and snow
Thick leaves and a low, spreading habit protect the crown from hard weather. Under light snow, plants tick over rather than stop. At the first thaw, growth restarts fast. A simple fleece can help during sharp cold snaps, yet many gardeners report no cover at all down to around −5 °C in sheltered spots.
With a dusting of snow and calm wind, claytonia survives sub-zero spells and bounces back at the next thaw.
Sowing that pays off: timing, soil and spacing
Timing makes the difference between lush mats and patchy stands. Aim for cool, moist soil and shorter days so the crop stays vegetative and doesn’t rush to flower.
Pick your moment
Sow from mid-October to mid-November when soil sits between 7 and 15 °C. Seeds germinate steadily in those conditions. Delay too long and a sudden early freeze can thin the stand. In the south, a late September sowing also works, especially at altitude where nights cool early.
Sow when soil holds 7–15 °C: this window gives quick germination and strong early roots.
Prepare the bed
Loosen the top 10 cm of soil and rake level. Mix in a light layer of mature compost to improve moisture retention. Broadcast thinly or drill shallow rows about 1–2 cm deep. Water gently and, where nights bite, add a fine mulch to buffer temperature swings. In containers, use a peat-free mix with 20% sharp sand for drainage.
| Task | Best practice | Numbers to guide you |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing window | Mid-October to mid-November | Soil 7–15 °C |
| Depth and spacing | 1–2 cm deep, thin to a loose carpet | Approx. 10–15 plants per 30 × 30 cm |
| Watering | Light, regular during dry spells | Keep top 2–3 cm moist |
| Harvest window | Cut-and-come-again | December to March |
| Frost tolerance | Good in shelters and beds | Down to about −5 °C, lower with cover |
| Yield guide | Small, frequent pickings | 0.8–1.5 kg per m² per season |
Low maintenance, steady picking
Claytonia thrives on neglect. It tolerates partial shade, fits under cloches without fuss and asks little in return. That simplicity has turned reluctant winter gardeners into regular pickers.
Light-touch care
Weed lightly with a hand hoe to stop competition. Water only when the top layer dries, which happens after dry easterlies or a run of bright days. Skip extra fertiliser; too much nitrogen can make leaves soft. Slugs usually ignore it, and pigeons prefer brassicas next door if you keep netting on the cabbages.
Cut, don’t pull: shearing above the crown speeds regrowth and extends the season.
Harvest through winter
Start cutting when leaves reach 5–7 cm. Take a handful at a time with scissors, leaving the centre intact. Plants regrow within two weeks in mild spells, a little slower in January. Rotate your picking across the bed to keep the patch even. A small frame or cold greenhouse can add two extra cuts by lifting night temperatures a notch.
In the kitchen: mild crunch when greens run scarce
The flavour sits between cucumber and mild spinach, with a faint nutty finish. Tender stems bring juiciness. Leaves keep their bite even after a short chill in the fridge, which makes mixing and plating easy.
Four quick ideas for busy weeknights
- Leafy salad with segments of orange and a drizzle of rapeseed oil.
- Toast with soft goat’s cheese, crushed hazelnuts and a handful of claytonia.
- Warm sandwich with cured ham, mustard and a fresh layer of greens.
- Briefly wilted like spinach, served with poached eggs or smoked trout.
Nutrition and storage
Winter purslane brings vitamin C when many salads cut back. It also supplies fibre and small amounts of iron and carotenoids. Rinse leaves well and spin dry. In a lidded box with a piece of kitchen paper, they keep for three to five days in the fridge. Pick little and often for best texture and flavour.
Why gardeners across France are bringing it back
It fills bare soil, protects the surface from winter rain, and hands you a bowl of greens on dark evenings. That combination has turned claytonia into a reliable stopgap between autumn and spring crops.
Fits small spaces and city pots
In containers, sow into wide troughs and put them on cool balconies. The plant tolerates shade from walls and railings. Under fruit trees, it knits a living mulch that you can clip for salads. Between leeks, it offers a soft understory that you cut before spring growth surges.
Save seed and share the habit
Let a corner flower in April to set seed. Shake dry seedheads into a paper bag, label, and store cool. Next autumn, you can sow for free and pass envelopes to neighbours. The plant self-seeds lightly in many climates; a quick hoeing in spring keeps it where you want it.
One square metre can give 10–12 family salads across winter with barely an hour of work in total.
What you can plan this week
Run a quick calculation. A 2 m² bed, sown by 1 November, with four rounds of cutting at 250–300 g each, yields roughly 2–2.4 kg of leaves by March. Add a cold frame and you may push that to six rounds. That covers two salads per week for a household of four through the coldest stretch.
Pair it with other hardy crops to stagger harvests. Mizuna and mustards give peppery notes. Corn salad brings density. Baby spinach fills gaps in late winter. Mixing the three buffers weather swings and diversifies plates.
Risks, tips and small upgrades
Sudden thaws after deep frost can mush leaves. Clip damaged growth, water lightly at midday on the next mild day, and new leaves will rise. If mice nibble seedlings under fleece, use a fine mesh or lift the cover on bright mornings. In mild regions, sow in two waves two weeks apart to hedge against a cold snap.
A simple wooden frame with polycarbonate lid lifts night temperatures by 2–3 °C and blocks cold wind. Vent on sunny days to prevent condensation and mildew. If plants stretch as days lengthen, switch to whole rosettes, then clear the bed for early peas or spring onions.
The name behind the leaves
Claytonia perfoliata goes by winter purslane and miner’s lettuce. The common name refers to nineteenth-century miners in North America who valued it for fresh greens. In France, it now slips back into seed catalogues and community gardens as growers value resilience and low input crops for colder months.
