Navajo Tea

Thelesperma megapotamicum is a perennial, herbaceous or slightly woody, flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native to sections of the Americas. It is known as Hopi tea greenthread, rayless greenthread, Navajo tea, cota and greenthread. It is a perennial herb or subshrub with opposite leaves divided into thread-like lobes, and flower heads with many yellow or orange disc florets. It flowers from April to October and grows in disturbed places in sand or clay, oak or juniper woodlands, desert scrub and yellow pine forests. Native American groups such as the Hopi and Navajo use the plant to make herbal teas, as a medicinal remedy and as a yellow dye. The Hopi name for it is hohoysi, and in Apache it is izeets'ósé. The plant can be boiled whole until the water turns a rusty colour and used as a tea. The Hopi also add the plant and water to large glass jars and place them in the sun to make sun tea.