Navajo Tea

Navajo Tea (Thelesperma megapotamicum)

By Bonnie Martin

Also called greenthread, Hopi tea, and Pueblo tea, this yellow-flowered herb has thin, green, threadlike leaves and is a member of the aster family. Navajo tea has long been valued for its medicinal properties by Native Americans across the country but particularly in the Southwest. It grows abundantly in New Mexico and is even sold at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. It is also used to make a dye for basket weaving and textiles. Thelesperma megopotamicumis closely related to another herb, bidens, species of which are commonly used in Chinese medicine.For tea, harvest the plant just as the buds open by cutting two to three inches above the soil (to allow for regrowth), wash gently, allow to dry, and then gather in bundles of about four inches long and weighing about six grams each. When ready to use, combine one bundle of tea with six or more cups of boiling water and steep for five minutes. The tea may be enjoyed with or without sweetener.If you are interested in saving the seeds of Navajo tea (something we should be doing for all plants), follow this process: Once the flower has bloomed and petals have fallen, a center cone develops seeds. Remove the seed head just below the cone after the stem has begun to dry and turn brown. Let the cone fully dry away from direct sunlight, then separate it from the seed by rubbing gently between your hands. Store cleaned seed in a dry, cool place.Planting and care:To propogate, mix the seed with moist sand and store in the refrigerator for about 30 days before planting. Keep the sand lightly moist until germination occurs. In spring direct sow seed just below the soil surface. Seedlings do need to be watered occasionally until established.Landscape use:Species of Thelespermaare found from plains to elevations of up to 9,000 feet. Navajo tea grows in any well-drained soil and in gravel, making it perfect for rock gardens and for restoring prairie ecosystems. Navajo tea is a hermaphrodite, meaning that it has both male and female parts, and is pollinated by insects; it attracts bees and butterflies, among other beneficial insects.Plant type:herbacious perennialBloom time:April–OctoberHeight:1–3 feetWidth:1 footExposure:full sunSoil moisture:very low once establishedZones:2–12References:Dharmananda, Subhuti. Greenthread: Navajo-Hopi Tea, Institute for Traditional MedicineSEINet, Thelesperma megapotamicumSouthwest Desert Flora, Thelesperma megapotamicum