Knowra Marigold Marigold Marigold is a common name for flowering plants in several genera, especially Tagetes and Calendula. These unrelated genera differ in appearance, chemistry, and horticultural uses.
Tagetes : A genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, native to the Americas and widely cultivated as marigolds. Most garden marigolds belong to this genus.
Companion planting : The practice of growing different plants together to influence pests, growth, or resource use. Gardeners often plant Tagetes beside crops in attempts to deter pests.
French marigold : A common name for Tagetes patula, a compact marigold species with branching stems and often bicolored flower heads. It contrasts with the taller African marigold in size and typical flower form.
Día de los Muertos : A Mexican observance honoring deceased relatives and friends on November 1 and 2. Tagetes erecta flowers commonly decorate altars and graves during the observance.
Calendula : A genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, including the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis. The common name also applies to this distinct genus.
Root-knot nematode : A plant-parasitic roundworm that induces galls on roots and reduces crop growth. Some Tagetes cultivars suppress certain soil nematodes when grown as cover crops.
African marigold : A common horticultural name for Tagetes erecta, a species with large, often densely doubled flower heads. Despite its name, this marigold is native to the Americas.
Cempasúchil : The Mexican name for Tagetes erecta, a marigold used in Día de los Muertos traditions. The flower is placed in paths and offerings associated with the observance.
Asteraceae : A large family of flowering plants whose small florets are often arranged in dense flower heads. Both Tagetes and Calendula belong to this family.
Lutein : A yellow-orange carotenoid pigment found in plants and concentrated in the human retina. Tagetes flower petals are cultivated as a commercial source of this pigment.
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