Hoja santa

About Hoja santa

Hoja santa (also root beer plant or Mexican pepperleaf) is a big, soft-stemmed shrub with huge heart-shaped leaves that smell like root beer or anise when crushed. Cooks in Mexico chop the leaves into dishes or wrap food in them. It spreads hard by underground runners: UF/IFAS rates it a high invasion risk in Florida, and it is a target weed in Hawaii, so grow it in a pot or a contained bed.

Sources in the UF/IFAS assessment put it at zones 8a-11, with roots surviving to about 10 F; the tops freeze back. UF/IFAS rates it a high invasion risk in Florida, and Hawaii's invasive species committees target it as 'false kava' (advisory listings, not planting bans).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Usually started from a rooted piece of runner or a cutting; it roots easily at the stem joints (UF/IFAS). Where frost kills the top, cut it to the ground in late fall and it regrows from the roots (RHS).

Soil

Not fussy about soil type; it likes moist but well-drained ground and a sheltered spot with light shade, though it tolerates full sun (UF/IFAS Nassau County; RHS).

It isn't fussy about soil; plant it in moist, well-drained ground or a large pot, ideally with a root barrier, since it spreads by runners. No fertilizer rates are published.

Feeding

Don't let it loose in an open bed near natural areas: root pieces left behind resprout, and it can take years to get rid of.

Harvest

Pick leaves as you need them while the plant is growing; no source we found gives a harvest schedule.

Pick leaves as needed while it grows; it regrows from its roots and runners, and where frost kills the top it comes back from the roots in spring.

In the kitchen

Chop or mince the leaves into cooked dishes, stews and soups, or use whole leaves as wraps for meat and other fillings (UF/IFAS Nassau County; CUNY).

Keeping it: Pick leaves the day you need them; like other fresh herbs they last only a few days in the refrigerator.

Safety: The leaves and roots contain safrole, the same compound found in sassafras. The FDA bans safrole as a food additive (21 CFR 189.180), and MSKCC notes it caused liver cancer in animal studies. Use hoja santa as an occasional seasoning, not as a tea or medicine.

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA