Toothache plant, also called the eyeball plant, jambu, paracress, is still one of my favorites. I first grew it last year. This one easily sprouts from seeds dropped last year into the soil.
Each bud is made up of hundreds of tiny flowers, so when it matures and dries out, hundreds of seeds drop.
When the buds, or buttons, are fresh, you can chew them and your mouth will tingle. Try a leaf for a less potent effect. The leaves, which have a salted-celery-leaf flavor, add a peppery crispness to salads. They also make an interesting tisane — just make sure the water isn't too hot.
The flower buds last a long time before they start drying out, and flower buds are plentiful, so it's a cheerful plant from late June through the first hard frost. Though I've fallen a bit for the crinkly-paper Mother of Pearl poppies I'm growing this year, the odd eyeball plant is more my kind of flower.
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