Toothache plant (paracress)

About Toothache plant (paracress)

Toothache plant is a low herb from South America in the daisy family. Chewing a flower or leaf makes the mouth tingle and go numb, which is how it got its name, and the leaves add a pungent bite to salads. Bees, butterflies and fireflies visit it.

Survives winter only in zones 9-11 (NC State); grown as a summer annual elsewhere.

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.

Grow from seed or stem cuttings (NC State). Plants reach 12-18 inches tall and wide and bloom from summer into fall.

Soil

Moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter; it tolerates humidity and wet soil.

Plant in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.

Harvest

Pick leaves as needed to eat raw or cooked. The flowers are edible in small amounts for their numbing effect.

In the kitchen

Leaves are eaten raw or cooked and give salads a pungent flavor; flowers are edible in small amounts for their tingling, numbing effect (NC State).

Safety: NC State notes no toxicity but says to eat the flowers only in small amounts; the sources used give no information on pregnancy or drug interactions.

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA