Re: Spilanthes Flower Buds

[Guest guest]

It's native to South America I believe, called the eye ball plant.. the foilage is supposed to have a salty taste and leave a numb feeling in the mouth.. Used for toothaches and supposedly has some immune enhancing properties when taken...

SV <shavig@...> wrote:

I know that if anyone would know about Spilanthes Flower Buds it would be this group! Please tell me what you know and how I would use these.

Suzi

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[Guest guest]

SV wrote:

I know that if anyone would know about Spilanthes Flower Buds it

would be this group! Please tell me what you know and how I would use

these.

Thanks, Shari

=================================

Hi Shari,

Depends on which type of Spilanthes you have. The more common one is

called the toothache plant. Here is a read.

Spilanthes; the Toothache Plant

by Lynn Smythe

Spilanthes is a member of the Asteraceae

family with over 60 species occurring in this genus. Spilanthes acmella

is also known as the toothache plant. The bronze-green leaves and the

more potent yellow and red cone shaped flowers have a taste and

properties similar to coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). As a sialagogue

it stimulates the flow of salvia which cleanses the mouth, tones the

gums, and enhances immune function. Spilanthes also improves digestion,

eases flatulence, improves the appetite, and helps to overcome nausea

and vomiting by its stimulating effect on the salivary glands.

It is called the toothache plant because

when you chew on the leaves or flowers it produces a numbing effect to

the tongue and gums. Spilanthes can be used in this manner to help ease

the pain of a toothache.

Growth Habit

Spilanthes is a native of the tropics of

Africa and South America. It grows well in full sun to partial shade

reaching a height of 12 to 15 inches with a spread of 24 to 30 inches.

It has bronze-green foliage with yellow petaless flowers with a red eye

on top of long stems. To promote bushy growth wait until the fourth set

of true leaves appear then pinch back the plant to the second set of

true leaves.

Spilanthes has no serious disease

problems although it may occasionally suffer from spider mite damage.

In my zone 10 sub-tropical garden it behaves as a perennial. It is a

perennial in USDA zones 10-12. It can be grown as a perennial indoors

in cooler climates or treat it as an annual and sow fresh seeds in your

garden every year. It is easily started from seeds directly sown in the

garden or indoors sown in seed flats. You can also propagate spilanthes

from stem cuttings. It needs regular watering, do not allow the plant

to dry out. It thrives in high humidity in well-drained soils.

Spilanthes Salad

The leaves, especially of the milder

tasting Spilanthes oleracea AKA paracress; when used in moderation make

a great addition to fresh green salads. The leaves have a slight

peppery taste.

1/4 cup spilanthes leaves (Spilanthes

oleracea)

1/2 cup New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides)

2 cups Swiss chard leaves (Beta vulgaris var. cicla)

2 cups lettuce leaves (romaine, leaf or iceberg)

1 tablespoon chopped salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor)

2 tablespoons chopped garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)

Rinse all the ingredients to remove any

dirt or insects that may be present. Towel dry or use a salad spinner

to thoroughly dry all ingredients. Tear the larger leaves into bite

size pieces then add all the ingredients to a large bowl and toss well.

Salad Dressing

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together in a

small bowl. Prior to serving the salad drizzle the dressing over the

top and toss to evenly coat all the leaves. Offer additional dressing

on the side if desired.

Harvesting

The leaves and flower buds may be

harvested on an ongoing basis for fresh use. The flower buds may be

dried and stored in an airtight glass container for up to one year. I

harvest my plants in one of two ways. I eat the fresh leaves in salads

or I harvest a few and eat them immediately while I am out working in

the garden. I also pick the flower heads and dry them in my oven on the

lowest setting (~175 degrees) to store them for future use. I use the

dried flower buds in my herbal tea blends.

An infusion can be made from the leaves

and flowers. When cooled this infusion can be used as a mouth rinse.

The infusion may also be taken as a medicinal tea which is utilized for

its antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and immune system stimulating

properties.

Spilanthes Tea Blend

4 dried spilanthes flowers

1 teaspoon grated, fresh ginger root

4 tablespoons chopped, fresh lemon balm

2 cups water

Add the water to a non-metallic pan and

place it on the stove. When the water comes to a boil remove the pan

from the heat. Add all the ingredients listed above and let the mixture

steep for 5-10 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid to prevent the

volatile essential oils from escaping while the tea is steeping. Strain

the herbs from the water and pour into your favorite mug. If desired

you may add honey or sugar to sweeten the tea. This recipe makes 2 cups

of tea.

Sources for Spilanthes Seeds & Plants

Horizon

Herbs-seeds

ny's Selected

Seeds

No Thyme Productions-plants

and seeds

-- Peace be with you, Shari.

Don "Quai" Eitner

"Spirit sleeps in the mineral, breathes in the vegetable, dreams in the animal and wakes in man."

Nearly all men die of their remedies, and not of their illnesses. ~Baptiste Molière, Le Malade Imaginaire

The obstacle is the path. ~Zen Proverb

[Guest guest]

Hi Shari --

When I searched for it at the greenhouses, they knew it as eyeball plant

(because it's petal-less flowers look like yellow eyeballs) and also it's known

as toothache plant. Gave a tiny piece of the flower to my teenage son and he

thought it was

pretty neat how it totally numbs the mouth (and what a great 'trick' this would

be...'can I bring

some to school?!'). In spite of my warnings, he kept munching on more and more,

and before

long was drueling uncontrollably and laughing about it.

From what I've read, spilanthes has immune-boosting properties, and works well

synergistically

with echinacea, so I've tinctured both and mixed a small amount of the

spilanthes in with my

regular echi tincture. (I swear by echinacea's medicinal properties anyway, so

couldn't really

tell you if the spilanthes added anything except for a bit of numbing effect).

This blend I'll use

at the first sign of a cold, or a few drops topically too if I need to treat a

wound or animal/insect

bites.

Haven't had to try it on a toothache yet, but it would probably be great in any

blends intended

for healing inflamed or infected gums. Maybe it would be good on a sore throat?

Recently I read it's best to tincture the fresh flower, since dried ones

supposedly lose their 'punch'; wish

I'd known that earlier this summer, before harvesting all those flowers and just

throwing them

on a paper plate to dry for later use. Hmmmph. I'll still tincture the dried

ones,

though -- they were pretty strong!

M

>I know that if anyone would know about Spilanthes Flower Buds it would be this

group! Please tell me what you know and how I

would use these.

>

>Thanks, Shari