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Mexican Marigold. Herb Profile.

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Mexican Marigold

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Mexican Mint Marigold is a semihardy perennial. It requires full sunlight and grows to 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide.

Mexican Mint Marigold, also known as Texas Tarragon, Winter Tarragon or False Tarragon, originated in the cool mountains of Mexico. Natives began cultivating many of the marigolds over five thousand years ago, Mexican Mint Marigold was valued for its medicinal properties. It was used to kill intestinal parasites, sooth upset stomachs, relieve diarrhea and ease menstrual cramps, and as a general tonic.

Mexican Mint Marigold has many common names in Mexico and Central American, including hierba de anis, hierba de San Juan, flor de Santa Maria, and pericon. The flavor is sweet, somewhat like anise.

Many slender stems rise unbranched from the base of this semihardy perennial. Narrow leaves are deep glossy green above, pale green below. Underneath are tiny glands filled with oil that smells like anise. Small, daisy like yellow-orange flowers appear in the Fall and can be showy in the garden.

Planting and Care.

You should sow its seeds after the danger of frost has passed. Then proceed to cover seed lightly with soil and keep evenly moist. Dividing plants is the the easiest method; do this in the Spring or Fall. Arch a stem to the ground, cover the center with soil, and the stem will often root at the nodes.

Even in the mildest climates these plants are winter dormant. As plants set seed, let them begin to dry out. If the weather remains too moist when plants are dormant they will rot. Allow three or four months of dormancy before watering again. Locate plants in full sun to moderate afternoon shade; without enough sun they may not flower. Tolerates any soil, including clay or loam, alkaline or acidic, even limestone soils.

Mexican Mint Marigold does well in containers as long as the soil does not dry out. In northern climates allow plants to go dormant and store them in a cool area for the winter. Move them to a sunny spot and begin watering in late winter to bring them out of dormancy.

Harvesting and Use.

Dried leaves are mildly aromatic in potpourri. A warm decoction works well to tone skin, help cleanse pores and treat acne.

When cooking, the sweetish anise-like flavor of leaves and stems can be substituted for tarragon. Fresh leaves and flowers complement chicken, fish veal and mutton. Stuffed peppers, squash, tomatoes and tradition turkey stuffing are enhanced by the subtle flavor. Do not over cook; add near the end of preparation.

Sprinkle fresh leaves in green and fruit salads. Wonderful in herb vinegars; the flavor is strongest with white wine vinegar as a base. When harvesting leaves use sharp shears to cut rather than crush the stems. This helps prevent the flavorful oils from escaping. Chop as you add to dishes when cooking.

The golden orange flowers make a spicy tea and can be blended with black tea for flavor.

Mexican Mint Marigold Vinaigrette Recipe.

  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup light sesame oil or grape seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Mexican Mint Marigold leaves and flower petals, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Drizzle over tossed salad greens and mixed edible flowers and serve.

 

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Winter Savory

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Hardy woody perennial

Culinary, Ornamental

4 to 16 inches high, 3 to 8 inches wide

Full sun

Rich, moist, well-drained soil

 Winter Savory, Satureja MontanaWinter savory grows slowly, reaching no more than 12 inches high. Mature, glossy, deep green leaves are pointed and narrow, developing from short woody stems.This is an especially decorative, low-growing and densely spreading shrub. White or lavender-blue flowers bloom on short spikes in late summer. A good border plant for an herb or a vegetable garden. Winter savory also excels in a rock garden, where its evergreen branches can trail gracefully over the edges of stones.

Savory was well-known to the classical Greeks and Romans. Its genus name Satureja may derive from satyrus, or satyr, referring to its aphrodisiac effects. Hippocrates ascribed medicinal properties to it.
Winter savory was well known in early England, as well. Culpeper recommended it for ringing ears and in poultices for easing the pain from bee and wasp stings. This last remedy of rubbing a bruised sprig on a bee sting remains valid today. Early American settlers treated colds and fevers with savory tea.

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Basil

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AnnualCulinary, Ornamental

2 to 2-1/2 feet high, 2 feet wide

Full Sun

Prefers well-drained soil

 We wrote about Basil in July of 2005 – but it is such a wonderful Herb we thought we would bring it to your attention again – enjoy!Basil, Ocimum basilicumIf you like basil, one pot of it won’t be enough. And each pot can house a different variety, with about 150 varieties available. The large selection is due to the range of essential oils that give basils their characteristic fragrances. In most instances their fragrance and flavor difference is distinct. Sometimes flavors vary between each plant’s leaves, flowers and seeds.

For gardeners and cooks, fresh, aromatic basil leaves are one of the most indispensable flavors. Basil is a traditional companion plant with tomatoes. Some gardeners believe basil helps keep tomato plants free from insects, and imparts a richer flavor to the tomato fruits.

Best of the Basils

Sweet Basil — This is the most commonly known, and its large green leaves have a sweeter, more delicate flavor than many basils. A gourmet necessity for tomatoes and garlic, it’s the one preferred for pesto. Of several strains, three are often recommended:

Basil napolentano has large, light green leaves, with a mellow-sweet aroma and rich, buttery flavor. A great appetizer wrapper.

Basil genova profumatissima has long, pointed, shiny leaves with a distinctively strong perfume flavor. This one is the most prolific leaf producer.

Basil fino verde compatto has thick clusters of sweet mini-leaves that cause it to look more like a pretty shrub. Its 12-inch height make it the most suitable for containers or with low growing flowers in a border.

Lemon Basil — Shrubbier, to 2 feet high and 2 feet wide, with longer white flowering spikes than other types. Its delicate pale-green leaves have a pronounced citrus scent, making it a pucker-up favorite for fish, vegetables and pasta. Combine it with mint to create a delicious iced libation. Refreshing in potpourri.

Cinnamon Basil — An attractive purplish plant to 2 feet high. Glossy leaves and pink flower spikes have a definite herb and spice fragrance. We devour it in sweets with toasted pecans or fresh fruits, as well as in savory chicken and seafood dishes.

Anise Basil — Any tomato-based dish that would benefit from the flavor of fennel can be accommodated by this licorice like basil. Add a touch of Asian mystery to mild vegetables such as squash, potatoes and eggplant with a minced fresh leaf or creamy flower cluster.

Purple (Opal) Basil — Has a bite that’s as intense as its purple leaf color. It’s too sharp for many palates, yet for those with a preference for the robust, add as a light garnish to pasta, seafood or poultry. Its deep purple leaves lend an amethyst cast to basil vinegar, oil or jelly. It’s also a dramatic filler in a bouquet of bright flowers.

Holy (Perfume) Basil — Sacred to the Hindus, who use it in their religious ceremonies. Its free-spirited growth causes it to become lanky, so don’t delay controlling it. The jagged leaves are coarse and sweet smelling. Add sparingly to fruits, jellies and breads, as well as to potpourris. Its essential oil often refines luxury fragrances and soaps.

Lettuce-Leaf Basil — Looking more like a mounded, 18 inch salad bowl in the garden, this basil’s shiny, crinkled, 4-inch leaves and greenish white blossoms define a true kitchen herb. Use to wrap cheeses, rice melanges, grilled mini-meat cuts and vegetables.

Spicy Globe Basil — A superior landscape selection. Minimal clipping required to keep its compact sphere shape. Decorate as a low border or plant in a pot. This basil adds soft fragrance to a garden.

Planting & Care.

Seeds germinate quickly — usually 7 to 10 days after planting in rich, moist warm soil. Basil do best in full sun when day and night temperatures are above 60 degrees F. If grown indoors in a sunny south window, basils make handsome fragrant house plants.

Basils are usually classified as annuals. New plants are germinated from seed. However, in mild, frost-free climates such as Hawaii, a basil plant can develop into a semi-woody perennial shrub.

Harvesting and Use.

Basil is a vigorous herb, producing abundant leaves. For the best flavor and to prolong its productive season, pinch off blossoms as soon as they appear.

The smell of basil is said to be “good for the heart and the head,” so we recommend including it in more than spaghetti sauce. Basil lends an unforgettable spicy flavor and aroma to herb butters and vinegars.

A basil tea is claimed to quiet the nerves. Add basil stems and flower stalks to stews and soups. Throw basil stalks on the coals when grilling for a wonderful, permeating aroma. The sweet flowers can be used to make a delicious marinade.

To preserve basil, bundle sprays together and hang-dry in a dark place, or wrap individual stalks and freeze in plastic bags or seal in plastic containers.

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Dill

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Hardy Annual

Culinary, Medicinal

3 feet high or more, 1 foot wide

Full Sun to Partial Shade

Light, well drained Soil

 Dill Anethum graveolens –“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, And have omitted the weightier matters of the law.”
– The Bible, St. Matthew XXIII:23Dill was traditionally believed to have protective powers, and used to counteract the spells and curses of witches and sorcerers. This aromatic sweet herb, first recorded some 5000 years ago in an Egyptian doctor’s list of remedies, was known and used by ancient civilizations for its medicinal properties. The ancient Egyptians employed it to treat headaches, and the Romans and Greeks grew it their gardens to use as both food and a perfumed incense, as well as for it therapeutic qualities.

Early New England settlers grew special plants that would reputedly protect against evil spells and other unsociable activities of witches. Among the most effective of the antiwitch herbs were mugwort, vervain and dill.

According to herbal lore, burning sprigs of dill cleared the air and drove away destructive rainstorms.

Cultivated for its charming character, dill develops fine, threadlike leaves with large, yellow, umbrella-shaped flowers in early summer. These are followed by aromatic seeds. For centuries, brides put these seeds and salt in their wedding shoes for good luck, even though it would mean a rather uncomfortable walk down the aisle. As the sole important herb for Jewish chicken soup, dill may deserve credit for the soup’s reputed curative powers.

Planting and Care

April to early June, and September to November in frost-free areas. Are prime times to sow dill’s flat oval seeds. Plant directly in loamy, moderately fertile garden soil in full sun. Cover the seed lightly and keep the seedbed moist After the seedlings emerge (about 12 days I warm soil), water well and apply liquid fertilizer once a week. A 2 to 3 foot row planted each month as soon as the soil can be worked will provide plenty of foliage about 4 weeks after germination. Allow about 2 weeks between harvests. If growing plants to harvest seeds, do not remove any foliage. Maintain 12 to 16 inches of space between plants.

Harvesting and Use

Perhaps what has made dill eternal in the hearts of Americans is its close association with pickles. Although pickles can be flavored with any number of seasonings, dill is delicious with recipes of any ethnic origin, from sweet gerkins to sour pickle chips to everything in between. Fresh dill’s astringent quality can also provide a flavor spark to salads, root vegetables such as potatoes, fresh light flavored fish, eggs, cream sauces and dips. Containing potassium, sodium, sulfur, and phosphorus, dill is also good for you.

Dill seed, by contrast, tastes quite different from its leaf. Nutty and mildly peppery, we use the seeds for rich foods such as breads, butters and cheeses, marinated fish, Indian curries and herb salt.  Dill seeds also make lovely tisanes-teas for health.  They possess carminative qualities, which means they alleviate flatulence, colic and general digestive complaints.

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Epazote

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Herb of the Month


Tender, semiwoody perennial

Craft, Culinary, Medicinal

5 ft. high, 2 ft. wide

Full sun to partial shade

Light, well-drained soil

 Epazote, (Chenopodium amborsiodes)

Family: Chenopodiaceae
Genus: Chenopodium
Species: ambrosioides
Synonyms: Ambrina ambrosioides, A. parvula, A. spathulata, Atriplex ambrosioides, Blitum ambrosioides, Chenopodium anthelminticum, C. integrifolium, C. spathulatum, C. suffruticosum
Common Names: Epazote, erva-de-santa maria, wormseed, apasote, chenopode, feuilles a vers, herbe a vers, meksika cayi, paico, pazote, semen contra, semin contra, simon contegras, mexican tea, american wormseed, jesuit’s tea, payco, paiku, paico, amush, camatai, cashua, amasamas, anserina, mastruco, mastruz, sie-sie, jerusalem tea, spanish tea, ambroisie du mexique, wurmsamen, hierba hormiguera
Parts Used: Leaf, whole plant, seed

Epazote is an annual herb that grows to about 1 ft. in height. It has multi-branched, reddish stems covered with small, sharply toothed leaves. Epazote bears numerous small yellow flowers in clusters along its stems. Following the flowers, it produces thousands of tiny black seeds in small fruit clusters. It is easily spread and re-grown from the numerous seeds it produces which is why some consider it an invasive weed. The whole plant gives off a strong and distinctive odor.

Epazote is native to Mexico and the tropical regions of Central and South America where it is commonly used as a culinary herb as well as a medicinal plant. It has been widely naturalized throughout the world and can be found growing in parts of the southern United States. In Brazil the plant’s name is erva-de-santa-maria or mastruço; in Peru its called paico. It is known throughout Mexico and Latin America as epazote. The Siona name of this plant means worm remedy and here in America it is referred to as wormseed – both referring to it long history of use against intestinal worms.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

In the Yucatan, indigenous Indian groups have long used epazote for intestinal parasites, asthma, excessive mucus, chorea (a type of rheumatic fever that affects the brain) and other nervous afflictions. The Tikuna Indians in the Amazon use it to expel intestinal worms and as a mild laxative. The Siona-Secoya and Kofán Indian tribes in South America also use epazote for intestinal worms (usually by taking one cup of a leaf decoction each morning before eating for three consecutive days). The Kofán Indians also use the plant as a perfume-tying it to their arm for an ‘aromatic’ bracelet. (However, most Americans consider the smell of the plant quite strong and objectionable – calling it skunk-weed!) Creoles use it as a worm remedy for children and a cold medicine for adults while the Wayãpi use the plant decoction for stomach upsets and internal hemorrhages caused by falls. In Piura a leaf decoction is used to expel intestinal gas, as a mild laxative, as an insecticide, and as a natural remedy for cramps, gout, hemorrhoids, intestinal worms and parasites and nervous disorders. Some indigenous tribes bathe in a decoction of epazote to reduce fever and will also throw a couple of freshly uprooted green plants onto their fires to drive mosquitoes and flies away.

In herbal medicine systems throughout Latin America epazote is a popular household remedy used to rid children and adults of intestinal parasites, worms and amebas. The plant is also used in cooking – it is said to prevent intestinal gas if the leaves are cooked and/or eaten with beans and other common gas-forming foods. The leaves and seeds of epazote have long been used in Central and South American medicine as a vermifuge (to expel intestinal worms). In Brazilian herbal medicine, it is considered an important remedy for worms (especially hookworms, round worms and tape worms) and is also used for coughs, asthma, bronchitis and other upper respiratory complaints; for angina, to relieve intestinal gas, to promote sweating and as a general digestive aid. It is used for similar conditions in Peruvian herbal medicine today. Local people in the Amazon region in Peru also soak the plant in water for several days and use it as a topical arthritis remedy. In other South American herbal medicine systems the plant is used for asthma, bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery, and menstrual disorders. Externally it has been used as a wash for hemorrhoids, bruises, wounds, contusions and fractures.

The plant’s ability to expel intestinal worms has been attributed to the essential oil of the seed and ‘Oil of Chenopodium’ has been used for several centuries worldwide as a worm remedy. The oil was once in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a drug used against amebas, roundworms and hookworms. The therapeutic dose of the essential oil however does have other toxic effects, therefore it fell from favor as an internal remedy many years ago. Intake of 10 mg of the oil has been known to cause cardiac disturbances, convulsions, respiratory disturbances, sleepiness, vomiting and weakness and even death.

Main Preparation Method: infusion or capsules

Main Actions (in order): antiparasitic, vermifuge (expels worms), insecticidal, digestive stimulant, hepatoprotective (liver protector)

Main Uses:

  1. for intestinal worms and parasites
  2. for skin parasites, lice, and ringworm
  3. to tone, balance, and strengthen the liver (and for liver flukes and parasites)
  4. to tone, balance, and strengthen the stomach and bowel ( and for acid reflux, intestinal gas, cramping, chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, etc)
  5. for coughs, asthma, bronchitis, and other upper respiratory problems

Properties/Actions Documented by Research: amebicide, antibacterial, anticancerous, antimalarial, antiparasitic, antitumorous, ascaricide (kills Ascaris parasitic worms), insecticidal, molluscicidal (kills snails), vermifuge (expels worms)

Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use: analgesic (pain-reliever), antacid, anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic (liver detoxifier), antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiulcer, carminative, contraceptive, diaphoretic (promotes sweating), digestive stimulant, diuretic, gastrototonic (tones, balances, strengthens), hepatoprotective (liver protector), laxative, lactagogue (promotes milk flow), menstrual stimulant, nervine (balances/calms nerves), sedative, tonic (tones, balances, strengthens overall body functions), wound healer

Cautions: It should not be used during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Don’t use essential oil internally.

Traditional Preparation: For intestinal parasites: one-half cup of a leaf decoction once daily on an empty stomach for three days. A decoction of the leaves is employed (in ½ cup dosages) for menstrual, respiratory, and digestive problems on an as-needed basis.

Contraindications:

  • The plant and essential oil should not be used during pregnancy and lactation. While epazote has been used by indigenous tribes as a contraceptive, this use is not verified by clinical research (nor should it be relied on for such). However, the use of the plant is probably contraindicated for couples trying to get pregnant.
  • The oil of epazote is considered extremely toxic and should not be taken internally.

Drug Interactions: None known.