Tagetes lucida

Tagetes lucida, known by several common names including Mexican mint marigold, anise marigold, Mexican tarragon, Spanish tarragon, and sweet mace, is a long cultivated herb which readily doubles as a showy late season ornamental herbaceous perennial. New growth is spring green maturing to dark green and contrasts handsomely with the three-quarters to one inch diameter bright yellow to orange-yellow composite flowers. Although flowering can occur whenever growth conditions permit, peak flowering is often associated with the shorter days of late summer and autumn. The sweet anise or licorice-scented foliage is its calling card and the specific epithet means lucid in reference to the bright yellow flowers. Mexican mint marigold is a pollinator magnet when in bloom.

Exposure: Mexican mint marigold grows best in full sun, but can tolerate partial shade with some reduction in flowering. This tough herbaceous perennial is hardy in USDA cold hardiness zones 8 through 13, dying back to the ground with the first freeze. Mexican mint marigold is also used as a summer annual in colder zones.

Height:  This evergreen to deciduous clump-forming perennial produces foliage that is 2 to 3 feet tall and eventually achieves a similar width at maturity.

Plant type: Evergreen herbaceous or dieback perennial or summer annual.

Planting time:  Container grown plants from early spring through fall or from seed in spring.

Soil type:  Moist but well drained soils are best, but once established Mexican mint marigold is moderately drought tolerant and withstands heat well. This species can tolerate a wide variety of soil types as long as drainage and moisture requirements are met. Plants can tolerate moderate salinity and bicarbonates in irrigation water, particularly if applied through drip irrigation.

Suggested uses:  This Central American native is a natural in herb, kitchen, cottage, or scent gardens. As a kitchen herb it is used to season fish or chicken and is occasionally included in tossed salads. Plants also blend well in perennial or mixed borders where they add a showy accent to late summer and fall seasons.  The beautiful yellow flowers combine well with the blues and purple blooms of fellow Texas Superstars blue mist flower (Eupatorium coelestinum) and Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha). This low maintenance plant requires no pruning beyond removal of spent foliage at the end of the growing season.

See also: Mexican Mint Marigold Designated As A Texas Superstar