Plant · P-618

Epazote

Dysphania ambrosioides

Epazote is a strongly aromatic annual or short-lived perennial from tropical America, its leaf a traditional seasoning for black beans that also reduces the flatulence beans cause. The whole plant is genuinely toxic - the seed must never be eaten and only a very small quantity of leaf is safe, since the same compound that flavors it can cause dizziness, vomiting, convulsions and death in excess. Handled carefully, it was for centuries one of the most widely used remedies against intestinal worms in Central America, and its strong-smelling oil also works as a mosquito fumigant. It germinates fast, self-seeds prolifically, and is considered a weed or invasive species across much of the world, so keeping it from spreading means cutting flowering stems before the seed ripens and pulling volunteers while they are still small.