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Photo: Franz Xaver, via Wikimedia CommonsLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0

Sesame

Sesamum indicum L.

Family: Pedaliaceae

  • Grain/Oilseed
  • Annual
  • Drought Tolerant
  • MAJOR FOOD ALLERGEN (FDA)

Pet & Human Safety

People: Toxic to peoplePets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
Human edibility
Edible
Edible parts
seed (whole, toasted, pressed for oil, or ground into tahini)
Hazardous parts
Not yet checked.
Preparation
not applicable for the allergy hazard: avoidance, not preparation, is the mitigation for an allergic individual
Hazard type
food allergy: one of FDA's nine major recognized US food allergens
Hazard route
ingestion (and, for sensitized individuals, potentially contact/inhalation)
How complete this information is
The safety information on this page is complete as far as our sources go. That is not a statement that the plant is safe.

Toxic to pets
No ASPCA entry found.

no ASPCA entry exists under this or any related common name. No pet-safety verdict is given, because not appearing in a list does not show a plant is safe. see the hazard information below for the separate food-safety picture.

Patent / trademark
not applicable

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones

Not checked yet

Water needs

low Once established. Drought tolerant, but needs consistent moisture during the 3-day germination window.

Mature size

2-8 ft tall depending on genetics, fertility, water availability, row spacing, and plant population; highly variable in form (tall/slender in narrow rows vs. short/branched in wide rows).

Where it comes from

Likely native to the Indian subcontinent or Africa (origin debated); cultivated as an oilseed and grain crop worldwide.

Soil & Drainage
Pruning & Flush Rhythm
Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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Anatomy & Guilds

Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics

How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.

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Field Doctor

Field Doctor

What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.

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Vintage Plates

Vintage Plates

Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.

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Sources

  1. GBIF Species Match API, Sesamum indicum
  2. NC State Extension Publications, Sesame Production Fact Sheet
  3. FDA, Food Allergies (FASTER Act, sesame as the 9th major allergen)

How we choose sources

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