Herb of the Week - Toothache Plant!

The "toothache plant" also known as Paracress or Electric Daisy or Spilanthes (latin name is acmella oleracea) is an herb that's been used for a long time in South America to cause a numbing sensation when the flower buds or leaves are chewed. Hence it's use in relieving toothaches or gum pain. Of course this isn't a cure but something to help ease that pain when waiting for that darn dental appointment, right? Right.

The chemical in this herb that causes the numbing sensation is called spilanthol which is actually a natural analgesic (fancy word for pain reliever). It's part of the Asteraceae family which includes chicory, sunflowers, lettuce, dahlias, daisies, wormwood, chamomile, and dandelion. and other medicinal plants. The leaves and flowers can also be used in food to add a pepper-like flavor to go with a bit of tingliness (if that's what you're into). Because it is a South American native plant, it enjoys warm weather and a lot of moisture so there are only certain areas in North America that you might see someone try to grow it (or a greenhouse could work).

As for it's magical properties, this plant can be used in rituals or spells to strengthen mental powers and psychic abilities, to increase confidence, repel negative energy, protection, healing, purification, and can be added to other mixtures to speed up the effectiveness of a spell.

Have you ever tried using this plant?