Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Herbs Epazote By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 1, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Epazote Overview Description Epazote is a pungent tender perennial most commonly used in Mexican cooking. Use the leaves fresh or dried in bean dishes and soups. Epazote blends well with oregano, cumin, and chiles, but on its own it has a strong flavor that some compare to kerosene. Mature plants grow 2-3 feet tall. Epazote prefers a dry, sunny site, but isn't particular about growing conditions. In fact, it readily spreads throughout the garden unless you contain it and remove flower stalks before they set seed. Genus Name Dysphania ambrosioides Common Name Epazote Plant Type Herb Light Part Sun, Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width null to 3 feet Special Features Good for Containers, Low Maintenance Zones 10, 11, 8, 9 Propagation Division, Seed Problem Solvers Drought Tolerant Find perennials to pair with your herbs More Videos » Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit