PAPALO Science Page

DID YOU KNOW? CLASSIFYING PAPALO

.usbg.gov In Mexico, papalo branches Papalo is a member of the Asteraceae, or Compositae, family. w are kept in water on café The composites make up the largest family of flowering plants, ww tables, so diners can tear with about 20,000 species, including sunflowers and daisies. up fresh leaves and add FAMILY them to beans or tortillas. GENUS Asteraceae Porophyllum SPECIES ruderale (or Compositae) In Latin, this means means “growing in rubble or waste “leaves with pores.” places.” Pores are t iny

black- openings. UNITEDSTATES BOTANIC GARDEN eyed You can see

susan the pores on papalo

leaves

without a

sunflower microscope. Oil comes The flower head of a Papalo grows well on dry plant in this family is out of the slopes, ravines, and commonly mistaken for pores,which roadsides. It has even Because cooking destroys the lo a single flower, but it gives papa been known to grow on flavor, papalo leaves are only leaves a st rong

really is many flowers nearly bare rock. used fresh or added to meals at scent and flavor. the last moment. grouped together.

ORIGINS THE PAPALO PLANT Papalo is native to Mexico, Central and The flower looks like an South America, growing as far north unopened marigold as Texas. Papalo is being introduced to bloom, and then it opens gardeners in the into a ball that U.S. as “a great looks like a new herb from dandelion Mexico.” flower.

Papalo has In the U.S., the egg-shaped plant grows up

leaves, which to 1 meter tall during one have a lovely, In places where temperatures are always growing season. warm, papalo grows year-round for many spicy, sharp In warmer scent and climates, the years. But because papalo cannot cope with plant can grow frost, in the U.S., you may have to grow the flavor. over 2 meters plant from seed every year. high.

GROWING AND HARVESTING PAPALO USES Papalo is easy to grow in sunny places where Papalo leaves are used to flavor soups and the soil is well-drained. stews, grilled meats, beans, salsa, and salads. The leaves also are used as a You can use papalo medicinal herb for many ailments, such as instead of cilantro in high blood pressure, upset stomach, and cooking, Papalo has the advantage that it does i nfections. not go to seed in the early summer, like cilantro does.

Pick papalo leaves when young for a milder flavor. The flavor gets stronger the older the leaves are. UNITED STATES BOTANIC GARDEN www.usbg.gov

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