Seed germination takes 5 to 15 days. Don’t confuse French tarragon, which is used for cooking, with false or Russian tarragon, A. dracunculoides, because it is somewhat invasive, grows well in hotter climates, and is grown from seed. Tagetes lucida Cav. (sweetscented marigold). The plant is found growing in forests and on hilly or rocky slopes and normally prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soil, growing well in clayey and sandy soils. Get one year (4 issues) for only $24.95! It is used internally in the treatment of sore eyes, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, colic, hiccups, rheumatism, malaria and … Mexican marigold is used as a medicine for eye pain, diarrhea, nausea, colic, hiccups, rheumatism, malaria, indigestion, and overcoming fever. Leaves were an important flavoring of ‘chocolatl’, the foaming cocoa-based drink of the Aztecs. Dried plant is burnt as incense and to repel insects. It is also used as a bath additive to treat rheumatism. If grown as an annual, you will likely not see it flower since it requires a long growing season. Natives in Mexico prepare a tea from the shoots. Mexican mint marigold does well in regions where French tarragon struggles. Dried leaves are used in soups, sauces and main dishes. is a perennial plant native to Mexico and Central America. Growing plant also has a repellent effect on various insect pests such as the asparagus beetle and bean weevils. Sow the Mexican mint marigold seed in early spring indoors and transplant into the garden after danger of frost, or direct-sow in the garden; you can also grow it in a patio container. Leaves and whole plant are digestive, diuretic, and febrifuge, hypotensive, narcotic, anesthetic, sedative and stimulant. Dried leaves and flowers are also smoked in cigarettes made from corn husks, often in combination with the ingestion of peyote. Mint marigold is a perennial, native to Central and South America and has been used as a seasoning herb, tea plant and medicinal in native cultures for more than a thousand years. It isn’t, however, related to French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus ‘Sativa’) at all. Begin harvesting leaves when the plant has reached about 12 inches in height, clipping sprigs or individual leaves for tea or seasoning. The plant requires all-day sunshine and will grow anywhere tomatoes, peppers or basil will grow. Register now to get access to ALL current video workshops and prerecorded webinars plus anything new that we add through the end of 2020. If the plant does flower, the small, bright yellow flowers are good additions to salads, as a garnish and for weavers; the flowers can produce a nice yellow dye. The combinations of smoking the herbage of Tagetes lucida along with consuming peyote, ‘tesquino’ or ‘nawa’ (fermented maize beverage), or homemade ‘ci’ or ‘soter’ (cactus liquor) are believed to produce very active, vivid hallucinations. You can grow Mexican mint marigold in any average garden soil. Even now, this species of marigold is used in Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebrations as an offering to the deceased. You may be surprised how well the herb blends with chocolate (or maybe not, since the ancient Aztecs regularly used it with their chocolatl drink). This very ancient herb goes by a variety of common, but somewhat confusing names. Mexican mint marigold is an ancient herb, which as held a variety of uses, from tea to chocolate. • Heirloom seed-saving techniques Tagetes lucida subsp. Common names include sweetscented marigold, Mexican marigold, Mexican mint marigold, Mexican tarragon, sweet mace, Texas tarragon, … Mexican Marigold is good for bouquet garni for flavored butter and herbed vinegar. Plant bears terminal clusters of small yellow to orange flower heads on the ends of the stems. Don’t miss a single issue of Mother Earth Gardener. The fruits are linear and thin. The Latin name, Tagetes lucida, refers to its other Tagetes relatives, the marigolds. An essential oil extracted from this plant, known as tagetes oil, is used for the production of cosmetics, food flavorings and in the pharmaceutical industry. Underneath are tiny glands filled with oil that smells like anise. Leaves are opposite, linear to oblong, about 3 in (7.6 cm) long, and shiny medium green and finely toothed margin, acute and tapering base, sessile and glandular. (In my own garden, where we sometimes don’t have a killing frost before the first of November, I have some early flowering). The fruit including the pappus is about 1 cm long. In ceremonies, the Huichol Indians from the Sierra Madre Mountains reportedly have visions when smoking the herb in combination with the consumption of fermented Tarragon tea, which is prepared the same way ‘Sinicuichi’ is prepared. Lucida is one of the plants most used by the Latin American population for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Mexican Tarragon is an attractive landscape ornamental often used in perennial borders. Delight your taste buds, mind and eyes with beautiful photos and inspirational techniques on everything you need to know to grow, preserve and cook your own heirloom fruits and vegetables. Leaves are softened in water and taken internally to cure hiccups. Addiction – What Are the Short- and Long-Term Effects of Drug Abuse? When using this plant as medicine you sometimes feel hallucinating and anesthetizing. The plant has smooth, upright, unbranched stems. However, its best flavor is from the fresh leaves, chopped and used in dishes such as chicken salad, tossed green salads and even fresh pesto sauces over tacos. "Mexican mint marigold" is the most common, but you’ll also find it listed as Texas tarragon, Mexican’ tarragon, cloud plant, coronilla, winter tarragon, sweet mace, sweet marigold and Spanish tarragon. Tarragon-like flavor, with hints of anise, Tracheophyta  (vascular plants, tracheophytes), Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames), Tagetes lucida Cav. The flowers are hermaphroditic (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. It is used as a medicinal plant and as a culinary herb. Huichol Indians of the Sierra Madre of Mexico would smoke dried herbage of T. lucida (commonly referred to as tumutsáli ) alone or mixed with tobacco from Nicotiana rustica. Even in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks, ‘French’ tarragon suffers with the heat, but Mexican mint marigold thrives in hot climates. If you have sensitive skin, avoid contact with the sap, as it may cause dermatitis. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); POLICY The plant has no persistent insect pests (an occasional grasshopper will taste a leaf) and when in flower, butterflies visit. • Access to exclusive online content -- seasonal recipes, organic pest control & more. All rights reserved. Medicinal uses include treatment for upset stomach, for stimulating the appetite, as a diuretic and stimulating beverage. The Mexican Mint Marigold, aka Mexican tarragon, is an ancient herb. Leaves are deep glossy green above, pale green below. Decoction of the leaves is drunk for coughs, and when applied topically on the skin in Argentina. Already a Member but haven't activated your account. Even today, many Mexican Indians burn the dried foliage of Tagetes lucida as incense on their home altars and during public ceremonies. Traditionally, the leaves were an important flavoring for chocolatl, the foamy, stimulating cocoa drink of the ancient Aztecs. Use of the plant depresses the central nervous system, whilst it is also reputedly anesthetic and hallucinogenic. Leaves and whole plant are digestive, diuretic, and febrifuge, hypotensive, narcotic, anesthetic, sedative and stimulant. Make a pleasant-tasting cup of tea by using 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped Mexican mint marigold leaves and pour 1 cup of boiling water over them in a cup. Leaves are dried and ground into a powder then used as a tarragon substitute for flavoring soups, sauces etc. Privacy Policy The plant expands into a small clump in the second year and can withstand temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit, provided it has 6 to 12 inches of straw mulch piled on the plant after the first frost in the fall. The flavor is anise-like, a bit sweeter than ‘French’ tarragon, but used in some of the same ways as that herb. Fruits are classified as cypselae and each contains one seed. There are reports from various parts of Mexico and the southern United States of message-carrying long-distance runners using especially strong mint marigold tea to give them strength and stamina; the robust tea acting similar to the caffeine in strong coffee. Whole plant is dried and made into a tea by Indians for treating scorpion bites, fever, ague, and diarrhea and also as an aphrodisiac. In Mexico, it is believed that the herbage promotes lactation. It is somewhat drought tolerant, but you will get better growth and fuller plants by watering occasionally. Secretions from the roots of growing plants have an insecticidal effect on the soil and are reported to be effective against nematodes, keeled slugs and couch grass weed.

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