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 Hutchinson Farm Herb Guide
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Epazote
 Epazote
Photo:  Epazote branch, David MacTavish, Hutchinson Farm, June 3, 2012
Grown at Hutchinson Farm since 2006. Available May 2018, in 4½" pots.

Epazote (eh-pa-zoh-tay) is certainly the most unusual herb we grow. Lovers of Mexican cuisine are delighted to discover we grow it, and those more used to "Western" cuisines, are puzzled how anyone could possibly eat it!
  • Description
     Dysphania ambrosioides
    Winter Hardiness: Annual (often self seeding)
    Light Requirements: Sun, part sun
    Height: 24 - 48"
    Habit: Upright
    Where to plant: In the ground

  • In the Garden
    Epazote is a tall irregularly branched plant, that resembles golden rod. Not a pretty herb, very tiny hard to see flowers, you'll want to grow it in a back corner of your garden. It can self seed, so if it likes where you planted it, it will self seed, and you may start calling it a weed.

  • In the Kitchen
    Epazote is a must-have herb for Mexican and some other Latin American cuisines, but unheard of in the rest of the world. The raw smell of epazote is unusual and hard to describe (kind of a minty diesel fuel), but when it is cooked with other ingredients, it becomes delightful. The classic pairing is with black beans, but it is also good in quesadillas, tomales, soups, etc.
    Harvest: cut off stalks, then strip off the leaves.
    Preserve: We have only used fresh epazote, please tell us your experiences with drying or freezing!