Para Cress, Toothache Plant, Eyeball Plant 'Peek-A-Boo' (Spilanthes oleracea)

ould you provide me with the basic cultural requirements for this plant? Thanks in advance, docturf@sccoast.net

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Very unique, olive-shaped, 1-in. long lasting golden yellow flowers with a deep burgundy red eye on long, pendulant stems. Foliage is bronze-green, mounded plants are ideal for mixed containers and great for borders. Grows to approx 10-12" high, spreads to about 18" Performs best in part shade in 9b and needs regular feeding.

Happenstance do you find the little gumballs get kind of bleached with the sun? I grew them a few years ago as an annual & grew it in morning sun & I found they got kind of bleached out. I liked them as an accent plant but don't know if I would grow them again. Maybe I should have had some taller stuff around it. They are unique though.

Hi Broots -

I've been very pleased with this plant and have about 10 of them as a front border around a shady tropical bed. They only get a couple of hours of our 9b midday sun and the rest of the day is dappled/full shade. I found in the Spring before things had gone "jungle-style" that the leaves tended to get crispy around the edges if they got too much sun.

As for the "eyeballs" I have been deadheading them as they start to go dry and there always seems to be a new crop of eyeballs coming on.

I'm not familiar with what your summers in 2b are so these conditions may not apply to your situation. But, shade and FOOD seems to be all they ask for here.

Thanks for your reply Happenstance. After reading your post I think I might give them a try in my north bed. They would get very early morning sun. I am a regular fertilizer & use lots of compost.

Our summers can be quite warm. Anything from the high 70's to the high 90's. We usually have about a week of around 100º. Of course this year wasn't good at all. Rain, rain & more rain. Although I think that is what of lot of you southerners also had.

Hi Guys. You are growing one of nature's most potent and effective medicinal plants. It is antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral and is used as an oral antiseptic and to treat infections. It treats dryness of the mouth, has an immune enhancing effect and is prophylactic against Candidia and parasitic blood disorders. It also can be preserved in a vinegar/alcohol tincture For further info check out Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech of Horizon Herbs. I grow it as an annual in Zone 8.

Wow!!!! How cool is this? It's Beautiful Happenstance :-) Where could I get one of these? Sounds interesting. I'm learning so much in just 1 day after joining woooooo hoooooooo!

For those who want to grow it: the "eyeballs" contain the seed. I save a few every year and find they germinate very prolifically in the greenhouse the following spring.

Happenstance, if you should ever have seeds available, as I am new and just starting my garden this spring, I would love to have a seed or two or three, whatever you can spare in my Garden. God Bless :-)
JulieAnne aka Annabellegabby

I'm not really a seed collector, but I have saved some of the flower heads gone to seed. They are in a dry dark closet and when I'm sure they are completely dry, I'll repost info on sending a SASE for some seeds.

Happenstance, I would love to have one of these so if you do grab a few seeds...send me an email and let me know :-)

Bourke, do you have one of these lovely plants too? LMK

Did you want seeds?

I have seeds for this guy.

Understand that I'm not really a seed collector, but I have picked the dried heads, am keeping them in a dark dry closet and will send them for SASE until they are gone. (I have PLENTY!)

Please email me for address.

email me your address

I would love some too!

If you are interested in seeds, please email ME your address.

Happenstance,
If you have lots of seeds, I have lots of room
you have mail.
Thanks
Doug

Happy, I would love some too!!

Mailed today Happenstance :-) I do appreciate it, and hope you will enjoy The purple Rose of Sharon :-)

God Bless

JulieAnne

If you have emailed me and NOT heard back, try again!

My spam filters are fairly aggressive because of my website and for some reason it just filtered out Annabellegabby's email to me. (I just happened to scan the list of deletes to see what new keywords I need to add for the porn sites and there she was in among the garbage.) This was a followup email to me, not one coming directly from DG.

Would LOVE some eyeball seeds for SASE. I emailed ya but also read you have aggressive filters.

I’m usually pretty organized, but in this case I was not ready for the deluge. :-)

If you don’t have your seeds, don’t see your name, haven't heard from me that your seeds have been mailed or are otherwise as confused as I am...please email me and I’ll straighten it out. Some of these are quite recent, so please don’t think I’m pushing you, just want to make sure I have not left anyone out.
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The Peek - A - Boo seed packets are all gone 'til next year, thanks for your interest!

This message was edited Oct 22, 2003 9:37 PM

Hi, even though you don't have me on your list I received your eyeball seeds today! Wonderful with a picture too. I appreciate you sharing and can't wait to plant them...
Connie

Hi weeds -

So glad you received your seeds and are pleased. The above list is just the folks that I am still holding packets for.....so you received yours and you aren't on my list, at least I got ONE right! LOL

OIC, lol! You are right on then.

Cool plant... where did you get it? I want one!

Hi Again sassy -

These are available at all nurseries in the Bay Area from the high end ones to Home Depot. They are an annual, but are still available even at this time of year in California.

Please, do you have any seeds left? I would love some if possible. plmk thanks

Morning gardenermaid -

Please see the list of names above from the Oct 7th post, I have six packages left which are spoken for. Should someone not get back to me on one of those packets, I'll be sure to contact you.

Thank you, Happenstance
I will await word from you.

I want some seeds too!

The Peek - A - Boo seed packets are all gone 'til next year, thanks for your interest!

Thank you, Happenstance, for ID'ing this plant, which I purchased today from Lowe's and which is labeled '4" ACCENT PLANT.' Now I can work on increasing its size this planting season. I'm ever so grateful!

Anyone have luck growing these in north Texas? I've never seen them before.
I love the look of this plant...would go great with my Lamb's Ear.
Thanks!

This photo is beautiful. I must be visiting it for the dozenth time at least.

I'm gardening for the first time ever this year and my spilanthes seedlings are still very small so I've been using this shot to boost my morale.

As a novice may I ask what the plant in the background is?
And re. feed is it just some sort of bog-standard 'fertiliser' you give the Spilanthes?

Thanks

that is a nice picture. my plant looks less healthy. i love growing spilanthes, it is very easy to grow a lot and use it as an antiseptic mouthwash. i usually just chew a bud every morning when i can and chew it until the tingling dies down. my mouth feels very clean afterward.