Cornell Botanic Gardens

Common name: sweet-scented marigold, death flower, sweet mace, sweet-scented Mexican marigold (English)

Family: Asteraceae (Aster)

Distribution: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras

Hardiness: Zone 9 (20 to 30 F)

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Usage: Food, Other ethnobotanical uses

Culinary Herbs: Culinary Herbs

Description: Glabrous perennial, 30-80cm, with a thick woody base. Stems branched above, striate. Leaves 4-10cm, opposite, more or less sessile, narrowly lanceolate, usually blunt, sharply toothed, lower teeth hair-tipped, glandular. Capitula 1cm diameter, many, in flat cymose inflorescence; peduncles very short; involucre 9-10 x 2-3mm, cylindrical, phyllaries 5-7, apex awl-shaped; ray florets usually 3, yellow, disc florets 5-7. Fruit 6-7mm, grooved; pappus scales 5-6, 2 bristle-like, 5mm, remainder oblong, c2mm, blunt.

Comments: Sweet licorice flavor brightens salads and main dishes. The edible, pretty, golden-yellow flowers bloom all summer and can be used to garnish desserts and drinks with the same sweet licorice flavor as the leaves. Thrives in warmer climates where French tarragon will not grow. Also known as Mexican tarragon. AND Leaves and flowers have a strong anise flavor and can be used as a tarragon substitute. In India marigold flowers are offered to the goddess Bhagwati during the fall Navrati festival.