Spilanthes, Kenyan (Acmella calirrhiza), packet of 30 seeds, organic

Hardy to zones 8 to 11, otherwise grown in pots and brought in for the winter, protected from frost.

Family:  Aster (Asteraceae)

Miniature creeping perennial found originally in the highlands of Laikipia province near Mount Kenya.  Typified by succulent red stems, aerial rootlets and tiny yellow coneheads with radiating yellow petals, the plant is a joy to taste, cultivate, and simply have around. Traditional usage (upcountry tribes, Kenya): gum disease and toothache, malaria, water purification. Plant prefers moist to sodden soil in sun to part shade and is an excellent grass competitor.  Easily grown in garden, greenhouse or in a pot on a sunny windowsill.    Sow seed in a warm greenhouse, sunny windowsill or outdoors in the spring.  Barely cover and keep warm and evenly moist until germination, which occurs in 1 to 3 weeks.  Pot up individually to gallon pots or larger or thin to 6 inches apart.  Kenyan Spilanthes will grow only a few inches tall, so it is quite possible to encourage as a companion underneath a larger, more upright plant (a basil or rose geranium, for example). Gallery photos show the plant in the wild in Kenya, growing in a marshy area along with grasses, also in cultivation.

30 seeds per packet, certified organically grown