Dysphania Species, Epazote, Fragrant Goose Foot, Mexican Tea, Wormseed

Epazote is a very special plant. It's surprising how little attention it gets. It smells odd at first- like a mix of butter, mint and mot...Read Moreor oil, but the flavor really grows on you. I love it. I put it in soups and beans and tacos, sometimes a little in my pesto- really unique taste. Grows incredibly easily for me (in Hawaii) and is actually listed as an invasive weed for most parts of the world. Mine just appeared in my garden, I think a single seed had been hanging out for at least two years in some soil of a pot I had from a farm I used to work at. When I dumped out the old soil, it started getting rained on, and poof... epazote!
The leaves and seeds are said to be poisonous- I have never noticed any adverse affects and I eat it often. The essential oil of Epazote contains a very complex mix of terpenes that create the flavor, but the main one, ascaridole, is a powerful treatment for internal parasites, and in its purified form is toxic and actually a volatile explosive. In the past, the essential oil of the plant was mass produced in the US and prescribed by doctors, but very small doses have been known to kill animals and children. That being said, the plant has been used for ages to flavor food and to treat for parasites in livestock and humans.
Regardless of its edibility, this plant is highly desirable as a companion plant. It is wickedly repellent to bugs, probably due to all the different essential oils it contains. In my garden, I have observed that slugs, mites, thrips, leaf hoppers and leaf miners absolutely will not touch any plants that are growing close enough to rub elbows with an epazote, while they certainly help themselves to everything else.
As far as growth suppression on other plants, as some studies suggest epazote may do, I haven't noticed any. In fact the pepper, kale, dill and some other things growing right in the middle of some epazote are the biggest most robust examples in my garden! Maybe just because they have zero bug issues?
I definitely recommend to try growing this plant.

It was hard to grow from seed planted outside. Several came up; only one lived, but it was hardy. I dried the whole thing not knowing las...Read Moret year that the seeds are poisonous. Am still here, but plan to remove the seeds this year. Have purchased it dried but it was always tasteless and lacking in color. THe one plant we grew dried a pale green and had a fresher flavor. I froze it as I do most of my dried herbs. We use it for beans. Too much is over powering. We use it for flavor and to control the rootie-toot- toot bean notes.( Pouring off the bean soaking water before adding fresh water and then cooking, helps a great deal.) I add the epazote to the cooking water, about a half teaspoon per two cups of dried beans.
I was hoping someone could tell me if starting inside works better than planting the epazote where it is to grow.

This plant grows great in my area. The top foot or so becomes solid seed and dies back during the winter. This spring it grew back in wee...Read Moreks, along with many, MANY seedlings around it, which are doing great. Unfortunately, I will have to remove most of them to keep my garden under control.

Origins: Indigenous to Central and Southern México, but is today a common neophyte in Europe and the US.

Spice Descripti...Read Moreon: A Mexican herb that has a very strong taste and sometimes has a gasoline or perfumey type odor. It has been used in Mexican cuisine for thousands of years dating back to the
Aztecs who used it for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes.

Epazote has a distinct taste that cannot be replaced by other herbs.

Culinary Uses: Epazote is used fresh in soups, salads and meat dishes; it appears in the recipe for mole verde, a Mexican herb sauce. The most common usage is, however, in bean dishes. The most commonly Epazote flavored foods are Mexican refried beans (frijoles refritos). Refried beans can be made of any type
of small beans, with Epazote; in Southern Mexico, however, cooks would usually use Epazote, especially for black beans. Yet Epazote works well with other kinds of beans, e.g. pinto beans, which are more popular and more easily available in the US and elsewhere.

It is a strong flavored herb even when fresh, with dried being even more concentrated,,,so a little goes a long way. It is best grown in the ground.

As this a tropical to sub-tropical herb,it does best in zones 8+ will survive some light freezes if it doesn't stay below freezing for more than overnight Usually will come back after it freezes.

Ot may be an acquired taste but you will like it when you get used to it. Husband says it is also good in chilaqilees,

DEFINITELY not poisonous! Ot can also be used to cure a human of "worms" according to old herb lore,In my head I have stuck that is also called wormseed because of that use for it, but I will need to research that to be sure, If anyone else finds it or remembers it, please post it here, Tks BB