Sesame (til)
Sesamum indicum
Loves heat and poor soil; the pods shatter, so cut before they open.
Hardiness: zones 7 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 4 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: September to October
From: India and Africa
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: South & Southeast Asian tropics, African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 7 to 12.
The story
Sesame is the oldest oilseed, pressed in Babylon and India 4,000 years ago; the Indian til is tied to the winter solstice festival of Makar Sankranti, when sweets of sesame and jaggery are shared, and the seed's oil fed the lamps of temples for millennia.
Planting
Full sun, drained soil, and heat; sow seed directly after the soil is warm, a quarter inch deep, 6 inches apart. It needs 100 frost-free days.
Growing
Water little once established; it tolerates drought and poor soil. No feeding.
Harvest and use
Cut plants when the lowest pods begin to split in autumn, before the rest shatter; hang upside down over a sheet to dry and shed the seed.
What to watch for
Shattering pods at harvest; waterlogging.
See if Sesame (til) fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home