Family: Asteraceae

Spilanthes is a flowering, herbaceous plant.

It grows well in Hawaiʻi and adds color to any garden. Flowers self-pollinate, creating seeds for next season.  As the flowers die, the seeds fall, prompting new plants to sprout. It grows 20 centimeters tall. The leaves are serrated and are covered in hairs that vary in texture. The foliage tends to come back and rehydrate after periods of drought. It fairs better with some shade. Besides being a lovely ornamental plant, this annual plant has been used for centuries as a toothache remedy, medicine, and insecticide. When eaten, spilanthes flowers produce enzymes that numb the immediate area.

Plant Uses:

• Container plant
• Edible
• Medicinal
• Ornamental

Plant Dangers:

• No dangers

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical/subtropical climates.
  
• Introduced to regions outside its native range.
  
• Other species in its genus are invasive.
  
• Seeds may be dispersed by wind or attachment.

Low Risk Traits:

• Not toxic, thorny, or allelopathic.
  
• Does not form dense or smothering thickets.
  
• Considered uncommon and non-aggressive in its native habitat.