Navajo Tea (Thelesperma filifolium), packet of 50 seeds, organic
$4.95
Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
Annual or overwintering annual, 60 to 120 days
(Cota, Hopi Tea, Greenthread) Flowering plant to 16 inches tall, native to the American Southwest, the Great Plains and the Gulf States. Thin, almost grasslike leaves typify this wayside weed that grows in full sun in dry, sandy, clay, and rocky soils. Will tolerate elevation and alkalinity. The herb is collected, dried, bundled and made into a smoky, delicious-tasting beverage. It is also a dyeplant, producing colors ranging from yellow, to rust, to orange. In a traditional setting (native american), the several species of greenthread are used interchangeably as tea herbs, being tasty, slightly diuretic and kind to the stomach. Traditional use: blood purification, antiinflammatory, similar in activity to the herb Bidens pilosula. Sow seed in pots or directly in the garden in fall or spring. Use a sandy mix, and cover sparingly, tamp securely, and keep evenly moist and in the light. Seed requires a short period of cold/moist conditions prior to germination. Plant in cool soils of fall or early spring, or give 14 to 45 days cold, moist refrigeration, then sow in warm conditions. Germination takes 3 to 4 weeks. Seedlings look like grass. Thin or transplant to 6 inches apart.
50 seeds/pkt, Certified organically grown
In stock
Question
morgen –
Will this grow in northern New Mexico 6400 feet altitude
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Richo Cech –
Yes, this is a good choice for you, and I think you’ll like the way this seed performs. r
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Connie Reinart –
Will this grow in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee? Really need to try to grow this.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Connie, Yes, Navajo tea responds to standard garden culture. We grew our first really large planting of these this year and found them quite adaptable. Don’t overwater. Richo
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Shivani –
Curious.. What is your favorite process for “tamping” ? Do you just use your hands or do you use a tool?
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Richo Cech –
just hands
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Lisa (verified owner) –
How often do the potted Thelesperma need water?
I’ve got them under T5s for now(till May 30). Zone 6
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Richo Cech –
hi lisa, the thelesperma need frequent watering until they are planted out and can send down their taproot, at which point they are drought tolerant. richo
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Question
cate –
I’ve read that different varieties of Thelesperma grow at different elevations. I’m in an arid (during the summer) 2,450′ elevation. Should these grow alright here? Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
You’re right, these do like altitude and dry summers. They grow a lot like a desert flower–fast flash of growth to flower then die back or die out. This species works well for me and I’m at similar altitude to you. r
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