Oaxaca Red Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) Organic Seeds – Red-Stemmed Mexican Herb, Pungent Citrus-Anise Flavor, Classic Bean & Salsa Seasoning

Minimum: 50+ Seeds

Oaxaca Red Epazote — The Herb That Tames Beans

Every abuela in central Mexico knows the trick: drop a sprig of epazote into the bean pot and the beans stop causing trouble. This red-stemmed strain from Oaxaca carries the pungent, citrus-and-anise punch that has flavored black beans, quesadillas, and salsa verde for thousands of years, part of Mesoamerican diets since before maize agriculture matured. The wine-red stems make it as striking in a bed as it is useful in a pot. Grown by seed savers working with Oaxacan lineages, this is not the bland, greened-out epazote sold in most nurseries.

Who Grows Oaxaca Red Epazote?
The home cook making pot beans who wants the real herb, not a substitute.
The salsa verde purist chasing the flavor of an Oaxacan market stall.
The Mesoamerican foodways gardener growing pre-Columbian crops on purpose.
The gardener who wants a self-sowing patch, not a one-season herb.
The ornamental-edible grower drawn to red stems against green leaves.

What This Pungent Mexican Herb Actually Is
Dysphania ambrosioides, formerly Chenopodium ambrosioides, is native to Central America and Mexico and naturalized across the warmer Americas. This Oaxaca Red strain shows deep burgundy stems that set it apart from the common green form; the leaf blade stays green. It grows as a fast, upright annual or short-lived perennial reaching 2 to 4 feet, narrow toothed leaves smelling like citrus peel, turpentine, and anise. Used fresh in beans, tamales, and quesadillas de flor, it carries a compound called ascaridole responsible for its sharp flavor and traditional use against intestinal parasites. Ascaridole is toxic in concentrated or essential-oil form, so use epazote in modest culinary amounts, not as an extract; pregnant women should avoid it. Perennial in zones 8 through 10, grown as a self-seeding annual elsewhere.

In the Kitchen & Herb Garden

• Classic pot beans: Add one fresh sprig to simmering beans in the last 20 minutes for a rounder, less gassy pot.
• Salsa verde: Chop leaves into tomatillo salsa for the citrus edge of Oaxacan and Puebla-style versions.
• Quesadillas de flor: Layer fresh leaves with squash blossoms and cheese, fold, and griddle.
• Huitlacoche and mushrooms: Use as the traditional pairing with corn smut and wild mushrooms.
• Tamales verdes: Fold minced leaves into green tamale filling for a more traditional profile.
• Digestive tea: Steep one leaf briefly in hot water for a traditional after-meal drink, used sparingly.

Growing Oaxaca Red Epazote Seeds

• Start method: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow once soil warms.
• Germination: Surface sow; needs light and sprouts in 7 to 21 days.
• Soil temperature: Best between 65 and 75°F.
• Spacing: Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart; it spreads readily.
• Sunlight: Full sun for the strongest stem color and flavor.
• Soil: Tolerates poor, dry soil; rich soil gives lush but blander growth.
• Watering: Drought-tolerant once established; avoid overwatering.
• Growth habit: Fast growing, harvestable within about 8 weeks.
• Harvest: Pick young leaves and tips continually; flavor strengthens with maturity.
• Self-seeding: Self-seeds aggressively; many let it naturalize in a dedicated bed.
• Hardiness and toxicity: Perennial zones 8-10, annual elsewhere; contains ascaridole, use in modest amounts, skip if pregnant.

Before You Close This Page
Oaxaca Red carries the same citrus-anise punch with striking burgundy stems. It's the herb behind authentic pot beans, salsa verde, and quesadillas de flor. It germinates fast, grows fast, and self-seeds readily once established.  Perennial in zones 8 through 10, annual elsewhere. Grow the herb that has kept beans honest since before maize was domesticated.