Cherokee Toothache Plant

[cherokeelady88]

My aunt just gave me a plant called Spilanthes Oleracea also known as the cherokee toothache plant. It is green and bushy with gumdrop shaped flowers. She said the cherokee chew the leaves for toothache or mouth pain and it numbed their mouth better than novacaine. Just thought this was interesting to share with you.

[plantsnobin]

Thanks for posting this, this is the kind of info we love. I have the book 'Plants of the Cherokee', but this plant is not mentioned there.

[orflo]

There are two varieties of this plant, one with yellow flowering and an other one, red flowering with a hint of yellow, it's easy to grow, even over here in the north. I use it as some kind of cress, in salads. I didn't realise it was used medicinal, thanks for the info,
Frank

[canadamike]

Thanks a lot for the info. I really enjoy reading about plants like this one... frank, is is a perennial?

[plantsnobin]

www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/Horizon.htm A nice article by Richo of Horizon Herbs on this plant.

[canadamike]

I strongly recommend that EVERYBODY reads this. Thanks a lot Cheerokeelady88 for introducing us to this plant and plantsnobin for the link, which is fantastic reading. This plant is needed in every household.

Frank, the article says that it can please only the most heroic vegetarian, you are now our '' hero in residence'' ;D.

Could I get some seeds in our next exchanges, please?

[cherokeelady88]

Thanks for the link. I didn't realize it could be used for all those ailments.

[flowerpower]

Spilanthes is also called "eyeball plant". I had no clue the Cherokee used it though.

[orflo]

Over here it's known as 'para-cress'. I never grew it that big as described in the article, but I don't give it the really optimum conditions. I think, when it's mixed up in salads, it's quite good, but tastes are different, I like hot peppers too, not everyone does ;D
It's grown as an annual here, and OK for the seeds, Michel (you want everything, don't you?)
Frank

[canadamike]

...but the kitchen sink....

Your wild canadian ginger is growing...should I send it in France? Did you get my other package?

[orflo]

No, didn't get anything , maybe it's best you send it to France, from there it can be sent to me , crazy and ridiculous, but two 'lost' packets???,( I guess customs spotted something...)
Frank

[flowerpower]

Finally I got a few of the seeds to germinate.

[adisonedu]

I have some seeds I can send out of the Toothache Plant (Spilanthes acmella) This is the first ever I heard of it being referred to as Cherokee though. I would imagine the Cherokee reference might have come in because the tribe might have chewed it to eliminate tooth pain, eh...

[stevil]

Just found this.

Yes, it's not mentioned in the comprehensive Native American Ethnobotany. I had always rather associated it with Brazil as it's apparently a commonly used herb/salad ingredient there. This is one of the "must have" plants in my garden as I love people's reaction to it, particularly kids (as in Plantsnobin’s link) – similarly, the very sweet leaves of Stevia and Lippia dulcis and the stingless stinging nettle ( a variant which looks like stinging nettle but lacks the stinging hairs)...

By the way, has anyone tried eating a few Spilanthes leaves and then a raw chilli? Can you still taste the chilli despite your mouth being numbed?

Here’s a couple of pictures, the first I took in Lund Botanical Garden (Sweden) where a cultivar “Peek-a-boo” was being used as an ornamental (en masse).

www.hagepraten.no/gallery/pic.php?mode=large&pic_id=1274

Second, the two colour forms growing in a large pot in my garden. I grow them in a pot because, for some reason, slugs go absolutely crazy over this plant and I put the pot in the middle of our drive (gravel) nevertheless as you can see in the picture, some slugs have found their way over the gravel:

www.hagepraten.no/gallery/pic.php?mode=large&pic_id=1275

I’m wondering what this plant actually does to a slug?

Another related question is shown here. I’ve grown Opium Poppies (Papaver somniferum) for years - for the seed (of course), used on bread and other baked dishes. As you know there are small trace amounts of Opium in the seeds. Can this explain why the Blue Tits (Parus caeruleus) and Great Tits (Parus major) go absolutely bananas over the seed pods. I first noticed this about 4 years ago and now it’s almost impossible to save any amount of Opium Poppy seed as the birds get there first:

www.hagepraten.no/gallery/pic.php?mode=large&pic_id=1276


Do the tits die of opium withdrawal symptoms once the supply dries up?

[plantsnobin]

stevil, love the bird photo. Much of my gardening is done specifically for the birds and butterflies.