Common Name: |
French Marigold |
Botanical Name: |
Tagetes patula |
Genus: |
Tagetes |
Family: |
Asteraceae |
Native Location: |
Mexico |
Cultivation: |
Well-drained, fertile soil in sun. Deadhead plants to prolong flowering. Botrytis and foot rot may affect plants. Tagetes minuta and, to a lesser extent, T. patula, are widely used in companion planting; the former has an irritant sap that may cause dermatitis; the latter is often used to repel soil nematodes, slugs, and whitefly from tomatoes, though cultivars vari in effectiveness. |
Propagation: |
By seed sown in spring, at 21°C (70°F) |
Harvest: |
Plants are cut when flowering and distilled for oil, or dried for infusions. Tagetes lucida and T. minuta are used in ointments for external use. Leaves (T. lucida, T. patula) and flowers (T. patula) are picked in summer for use either fresh or dried in infusions. |
Height: |
20-50cm (8-20in) |
Width: |
20-50cm (8-20in) |
Variations: |
Favourite Mixed Is compact and floriferous, with single blooms in various colors and combinations. Height: 50cm (20in) Width: 50cm (20in) |
|
Hardiness: |
Frost Hardy to half hardy |
Parts Used: |
Whole Plant, leaves, flowers, oil. |
Properties: |
An aromatic, diuretic, calming herb that improves digestion. It is reputedly effective against a number of garden pests. |
Medicinal Uses: |
Internally for indigestion. Externally for sore eyes and rheumatism. |
Culinary Uses: |
Dried flowers are used for flavoring in Georgia, especially in beef soup (kharcho), and in sauces based on walnuts and vinegar to prevent nuts from turning black; also to color butter and cheese. |
Economic Uses: |
Oil is blended with sandalwood oil in India to produce attar genda perfume. Dried flowers occur as an alterant of saffron (Crocus sativus, See, Saffron Crocus). Flower extracts give color to dairy products, poultry feed and textiles. Oil is used in food flavoring but is inferior to that of T. minuta. |
Bibliography: |
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited. pp 379-380 |