Plant encyclopedia›Pará cress

Pará cress

Also known as: agrião do para; Brazil cress; brede mafane; eye ball plant; novacaine plant; phak khraat hua van; salad cress; spot plant; toothache plant; para cress

A tender, evergreen perennial usually grown as an annual, with culinary and medicinal uses. The leaves are dark bronzy green and the petal-less, pompom flowers, produced from mid-summer to early autumn, are yellow with a red centre

Scientific classification

Species: Pará cress (Acmella oleracea)
Genus: Acmella
Family: Asteraceae

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Toxicity: Herbaceous Perennial · Annual Biennial
Plant type: 0.1-0.5 metres
Height: 0.1-0.5 metres
Spread: Evergreen
Foliage: Bushy
Habit: Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Season of interest: Full sun · Partial shade
Sunlight: Information to be completed
Ideal temperature

Pará cress pictures

Distribution of Pará cress

Distribution map

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Culture

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Toxicity

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Quick identification of Pará cress

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Pará cress care guide

Moderate regular watering, allowing brief slight drying between soakings
Watering: Full sun · Partial shade
Sunlight: Information to be completed
Ideal temperature

Watering

Moderate regular watering, allowing brief slight drying between soakings

Fertilizing

Balanced perennial feed every four weeks from spring through summer

Pruning

No pruning needed

Propagation

Propagate by seed, or by softwood cuttings in summer

Growing

Sow seed in pots in frost-free conditions - do not cover as the seeds need light to germinate. Plant young plants out when all risk of frost has passed, and remove plants at the end of the season. Does best in a sunny position, in moist, fertile, well-drained, neutral soil

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