Spilanthes: Meet the Tingly Toothache Plant That Makes You Drool
Written and photographed by Juliet Blankespoor
Spilanthes (Acmella oleracea, Asteraceae)
Spilanthes is a potent and delightfully unusual medicinal herb with an unforgettable effect on the mouth. In this article adapted from Module 7 of our Online Herbal Immersion Program, I’ll introduce you to the tingly toothache plant, including its medicinal uses for oral health and immune support, and why even a minuscule munch can make your mouth water. – Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine Founder, Juliet Blankespoor
Spilanthes (Acmella oleracea, Asteraceae) is one of the strongest sialagogues (saliva promoters) I know; even a tiny nibble from one of the flowers will set your mouth to drooling. The tingly numbing sensation, following the initial mouth explosion, affords relief from toothaches—hence its common name, toothache plant—and thus it is a common ingredient in many tooth and gum formulas.
Spilanthes also improves oral health through its antimicrobial and gum-stimulating qualities and offers relief from pain by acting as an oral anodyne.
Its leaves and gumdrop-shaped flowers can be called upon for a wide spectrum of infectious illnesses; including colds, flu, sinus infections, and ear infections. Clinical studies demonstrate that spilanthes has strong effects against pathogenic bacteria.
Spilanthes is incredibly versatile medicinally and yields a substantial amount of medicine in one season: one to two plants will yield over a quart of tincture! For all these reasons, it has been one of my garden medicinal darlings for decades and is one of the primary medicines I turn to in my apothecary year after year.
If you have fresh plants on hand, chewing on a smidgelet of the flower head can be helpful for maintaining healthy gum tissue by increasing salivation and blood flow. When I graze on spilanthes, I find that the buzz of the plant is not limited to my mouth—I feel mentally refreshed and vitalized after ingesting even a tiny bit of the plant.
Spilanthes will happily grow in pots and cascade beautifully from hanging baskets, making it a favorite for urban gardeners.
A yellow cultivar of Acmella oleracea
Spilanthes, Toothache Plant, or Paracress (Acmella oleracea, Asteraceae)
Parts Used: Leaves, stems, and flowers
Medicinal Preparations: Tincture, tea, nibble
Herbal Actions:
- Immunostimulant
- Antimicrobial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Sialagogue (stimulates salivation)
- Oral anodyne
- Diuretic
Spilanthes will sprawl as a dense groundcover under taller herbs such as lime basil.
Precautions and Contraindications:
Because spilanthes is in the aster family, it may cause a reaction in people who are highly sensitive to plants like ragweed and chamomile; this possibility is rare, but sensitive individuals should proceed with caution when taking spilanthes for the first time. Take care not to squirt the tincture on the back of your throat or chew too large a wad of spilanthes, as the throat may take offense and clamp down—not a fun exercise!
If you find yourself standing in the garden, drooling and delighted, congratulations—you’ve officially met spilanthes. Either that, or your garden is looking particularly irresistible this year. Enjoy!
Further Learning
If you’d like to learn more about spilanthes and other herbs you can grow on a patio or balcony, view our Growing Medicinal Herbs in Pots: 10 Healing Plants for Your Container Garden blog.
For tips on how to use spilanthes to boost your immune system, read our article on the Top 5 Herbs for Boosting the Immune System.
Curious to learn more about medicinal herbs and their applications? You’ll find a full lesson on spilanthes in Module 7 of our Online Herbal Immersion Program, where students build a strong foundation in practical herbalism skills.
How do you use spilanthes in your herbal practice?
Let us know in the comments!
Meet Our Contributor:
JULIET BLANKESPOOR is the founder, primary instructor, and Creative Director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, an online school serving thousands of students from around the globe. She's a professional plant-human matchmaker and bonafide plant geek, with a degree in botany and over 30 years of experience teaching and writing about herbalism, medicine making, and organic herb cultivation. Juliet’s lifelong captivation with medicinal weeds and herb gardening has birthed many botanical enterprises over the decades, including an herbal nursery and a farm-to-apothecary herbal products business.
These days, she channels her botanical obsession through her writing and photography in her online programs, on her personal blog Castanea, and in her new book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies. Juliet and her family reside in a home overrun with houseplants and books in Asheville, North Carolina.
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