Acmella, Eyeball Plant, Para Cress, Toothache Plant 'Peek-a-Boo'

This plant is an absolute blessing when you are wearing braces! I have only had them on for a couple of weeks and without the leaves and...Read More flowers I would be miserable. I use the flowers on the sides of my mouth at night to keep the braces from hurting me so wax isn't on them constantly. The leaves sit next to them during the day.

I have frozen them so I will have them this winter and they are just as effective.

MAB123

Spilanthes needs at least filtered shade in PM in Phoenix area. It self-seeds readily, and foliage rebounds wonderfully even if allowed ...Read Moreto dry out. The reference to it as a "culinary herb" truly surprised me. Apparently, cooking heat inactivates the enzyme which gives the plant its common name - Toothache Plant: chewing the leaves will deaden your entire mouth - teeth, tongue, gums, lips. If overdone, it can pose problems swallowing.

But as a Sun City plant, it's perfect: it is absolutely Rabbit-Proof!

The eyeball plant I had last summer was in a container where it received filtered shade from an oak tree. Its seeds fell in 2 containers ...Read Moreand surprised me by sprouting in them while they were in my greenhouse. I didn't know what the 2 plants were until the blooms appeared in March. I will sprinkle the seeds as they ripen in different areas of my yard and hope that they will germinate. All of my visitors love the unusual blooms.

This was a cute plant. I didn't think it would grow as large as it did but what a nice suprise. Some of the seed heads fell into the ...Read Moresoil. We'll see how good it is at self sowing for next season.