Mexican tea is an annual or short-lived perennial weed in the buckwheat (Amaranthaceae) family from tropical Americas. The plant will grow 2-5 feet tall with many irregular side branches and is weedy in cultivated fields, roadsides, streamsides, and waste places. It is self or wind-pollinated and readily reseeds. Both the stems and leaves have minute glands that secrete an aromatic oil that exudes a musky somewhat malodorous scent. The specific epithet ambrosioides refers to the plant's resemblance to unrelated plants in the Aster family This plant does best in full sun and moderately fertile moist well-drained soil. However, it is also found growing in sandy and rocky soils of disturbed sites. It flowers during the summer into fall and sets numerous seeds. The plant was used to help remove intestinal worms but the dose needed can be toxic. The leaves are also used in Mexican dishes and helps to negate the gas-causing effects of beans. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Weedy
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Irregular
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Entire; Lobed
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The green to yellow-green leaves have wedge-shaped bases and are 3-4 inches long and 1.5 inches across. The margins vary on the same plant from smooth to lobed to toothed. Leaves are dotted with oil-secreting glands that give off a strong odor
Flower color
Green
Flower form
Panicle; Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The upper stems and smaller side stems terminate in 1 inch long spikes of stemless flowers that are interspersed with small leafy bracts. The 1/4 inch individual greenish flowers are arranged in dense clusters along these spikes. It blooms mid-summer to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Green
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The achenes are small and oval with persistent sepals that curve inward. The small seeds are nearly black and egg-shaped.
Stem color
Cream/Tan; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems are round and hairless with conspicuous veins in colors of green, dull red and cream. Stems are also dotted with oil-secreting glands.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South America
Distribution
North and South America, Europe
Wildlife value
Songbirds, gamebirds and mice will eat the seeds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Fruit type
Achene
Edibility
Leaves are used in teas and as a leafy green and in various Mexican dishes.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Because of its anthelmintic properties, Mexican tea has been used to remove intestinal worms. This is one of the reasons it is cultivated as a medicinal herb.
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#heat tolerant #full sun tolerant #spreading #poisonous #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #high maintenance #wind pollinated #self-seeding #fast growing #fragrant leaves #short-lived perennials #tropical #annual #deer resistant #fragrant flowers #weedy
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Heat
Particularly resistant to
heat
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Medium
Poison parts
Seeds
Poison symptoms
Nausea, headache, hallucinations, vomiting, convulsions, and coma if the seeds are eaten in large amounts.