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I have a dear friend from South America who turned me on to things to do with my French Marigolds which are considered an herb in South America. She once served me a drink with the little yellow flowers in it and it was delicious and she cooks many dishes with the leaves which give them a wonderful flavor. The only thing I knew about French marigolds were their uses for planting among my tomato plants since they seemed to keep them free of insects. My friend say in her country the plant is used as a diuretic, a sedative and as a digestive aid.
Stevia is another unusual herb. It also comes from South America and is used as a sweetener in lieu of sugar. Four seasons ago I was finally able to get some seed and grew it in my Mediterranean herb garden since it has zero calories and I just had been diagnosed with diabetes. My research showed that just a leaf or two was all that was needed to sweeten my tea or to put in my food since it does not affect blood sugar levels and amazingly, unlike sugar, it does not cause tooth decay and is plaque retardant. So this was for me!
Here are my results. Though a perennial it is not a hardy one and it would have done better in a container that I could have moved inside in the winter since it is frost sensitive. Also I did not know it should not be allowed to flower and some of it did and that caused the plants that flowered to die immediately. If you grow it in your greenhouse or in a container, cut back prior to flowering and it will last a long time.
Amazingly the leaves when eaten raw, though sweet, have almost a licorice taste to them. I did manage to pick and dry some leaves and I found I could use them in baking and a friend of mine used some in making her preserves that year.
I do have a pen pal from East Africa who grows a plant called the Eyeball Plant or the Toothache plant and I later discovered that the correct name is Spilanthes acmell, “Brede Mafane” when I was doing research for an article about recipes from Madagascar. Apparently they cook many dishes in that country with this. The whole plant, including its lovely pom-pom like flowers is edible and is used in salads. The leaves when chewed have a numbing effect on gums and toothaches so I would find that salad business a little disconcerting.
In East Africa this is a tender perennial and can be grown here providing you can get the seeds. In colder climates it is considered an annual, but you can grow it in a container and move it inside during the winter. It should be started in a greenhouse as it does not sow well directly into the soil. Apparently it has a lot of medicinal qualities including helping yeast infections, Candida, combating parasites in the blood and much more.
I have never tried to eat or grow any of the Eyeball or Toothache plant and I recommend a lot more research if you should grow some.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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