Think Twice Before Planting Epazote In Your Garden. Here's Why

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Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) is an aromatic herb that's often used to flavor traditional Mexican dishes. Before you plant a bumper crop of epazote in your garden, however, know that it's not just you who will get to enjoy their small greenish-yellow flowers in the spring. You might also attract wasps to your garden.

Wasps love epazote's distinctive scent, which has notes of turpentine and citrus that hints at the herb's licorice-like flavor. It can be so pungent that when planted near fragrant flowers, it can even mask their smell. While not a true trap plant, it still can be beneficial if you're trying to fool parasites trying to devour your sweet-smelling blooms, but it's not so great if you want to keep the wasps under control and your yard free of stinging pests.

Even worse, epazote can be invasive, so it could take over your garden. To avoid a bumper crop of epazote, try planting it in a pot, or even better, put the pot inside to avoid attracting stinging wasps. You can also discourage unwanted wasp visitors to your garden by planting lemongrass or other plants that keep wasps away.

If you'd rather avoid planting epazote in your garden, there are other herbs you could grow as a substitute. You can try Mexican oregano or papalo as a nice stand-in for epazote. Cilantro is another great substitute for epazote, one of many fun facts about cilantro, though be aware that it and others, like fennel, can sometimes attract wasps as well, so that might bring you back to square one.

The best course of action might be to simply keep wasp-attracting herbs like epazote, cilantro, and fennel away from doors, pathways or swings in the backyard, to avoid putting wasps on a collision course with people. Instead, keep these wasp-attracting plants to far corners or low-traffic sections of the garden. You could also hang wasp traps near any wasp-attracting plants, like the Rescue! VisiLure TrapStik.  

Remember, wasps can bring advantages, too, like pollinating flowers or eating parasitic pests, so always weigh the up side versus the drawbacks of reducing wasps in your yard. You probably won't be able to keep all wasps away, and even if you did, you'd lose some of their benefits. It's all about keeping a balance.