# Mexican Tea (*dysphania ambrosioides*)

Mexican Tea is a plant with bright green leaves that smell like mint when you crush them! This plant can grow tall and loves sunny places.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Mexican Tea grows in gardens, fields, and along roadsides in warm climates.
- **Also known as:** Epazote, Mexican Wormseed, Pest Plant

![Mexican Tea](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dysphania_ambrosioides_NRCS-1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dysphania_ambrosioides_NRCS-1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Mexican Tea is a bushy, branching plant with lance-shaped, toothed green leaves, often tinged reddish-purple. Its tiny, inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers grow in dense clusters along the stems, giving it a somewhat ragged appearance.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Amaranthaceae
- **Genus:** Dysphania

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Aztecs used Mexican Tea for both delicious meals and medicine!
- Did you know Mexican Tea is a traditional flavor for beans and quesadillas?
- Its unique strong scent was once thought to scare away evil spirits!
- This plant is surprisingly related to superfoods like spinach and quinoa!

## Special abilities

- **Stomach Soother:** Mexican Tea produces special compounds that help soothe upset stomachs and may even deter parasitic worms in animals!
- **Growth Blocker:** Mexican Tea releases root chemicals to stop other plants from growing too close, claiming more space for itself.
- **Bug Buster:** The plant creates a strong-smelling oil that keeps many pesky insects away, protecting its leaves from being eaten.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-100 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — visits its tiny flowers
- **Eaten by:** Beet Armyworm (*Spodoptera exigua*) — larvae feed on leaves
- **Eaten by:** Vegetable Leafminer (*Liriomyza sativae*) — larvae tunnel through leaves

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Mexican Tea?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Mexican Tea?

50-150 cm

### How wide does Mexican Tea spread?

30-100 cm

### How big are the flowers on Mexican Tea?

0.1-0.3 cm

### When does Mexican Tea bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is Mexican Tea edible?

Yes

### Is Mexican Tea toxic?

Moderate

### What is Mexican Tea's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Clinton Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clinton-hill-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District
- [John Jay Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-jay-park) — New York, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Mexican Tea: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mexican-tea)