🌿 Epazote
Dysphania ambrosioides
herbs annual/perennial herbaceous
🗺️ Zones
4-9
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.5 (tolerates poor soil)
📏 Spacing
12-18 in. apart (bushy; self-seeds readily)
📅 Days to Maturity
45-60 days (from seed); harvest leaves before flowering for best flavor
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Bean dishes (frijoles de olla)🍽️ quesadillas🍽️ soups🍽️ moles🍽️ tamales"]
🤝 Companions (6)
🤝 beans
Epazote reduces gas-causing compounds in beans when cooked together; in the garden, its strong aroma repels bean beetles and other bean pests.
🤝 corn
Epazote grows well as an understory herb between corn rows; its strong scent helps deter corn earworm and other corn pests.
🤝 squash
Epazote's pungent aroma repels squash bugs and cucumber beetles; grows well at the edges of squash patches without competing for space.
🤝 tomatoes
Epazote's strong scent helps mask tomato plants from hornworms and whiteflies; both enjoy full sun and warm growing conditions.
🤝 peppers
Epazote deters aphids and flea beetles that commonly attack peppers; its upright growth fits easily between pepper plants.
🤝 potatoes
Epazote's insect-repelling aroma helps deter Colorado potato beetles; plant at potato patch borders for pest protection.
⚠️ Keep Apart (0)
No antagonistic relationships recorded yet.
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains ascaridole (anthelmintic compound effective against intestinal worms), limonene, and p-cymene. Traditional Mexican and Central American remedy for intestinal parasites (especially roundworms and hookworms). Also used for menstrual cramps, digestive gas, and asthma. CAUTION: ascaridole is toxic in high doses; use sparingly.