Redmaids (Calandrinia ciliata)

Family: Portulacaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Calandrinia ciliata is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves, Shoots

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

rich in oil and was often collected in large quantities by native North American Indian tribes. — Leaves and young shoots - raw, cooked or used as a garnish.; The leaves contain oxalic acid and so some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.; Seed - raw or ground into a meal.; The seed can also be cooked as a piñole.

Habitat & North American Range

Open grassy places and cultivated fields below 1800 metres in California, mainly in grassland. (Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)