Mexican Tarragon
Tagetes lucida
Family: Asteraceae
Herbaceous perennial growing about 3’ high, 1.5’ wide. Often much smaller in containers. Golden flowers occur mostly in fall. Flowers are nectar rich.
Full to part sun, regular water, freezes back with frost, but can grow back from roots to temps as low as 15°F.
Great nectar plant for many pollinating insects.
Foliage is incredibly aromatic and used like tarragon, or made into a tea.
Tagetes is named after the Etruscan god Tages, while the species epithet, lucida, is the Latin word for bright or shining and refers to the bright color of the flowers.
Woods, hillsides and rocky slopes in Mexico and Central America.