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Scientific: Tagetes lucida
Common: Mexican tarragon, Spanish tarragon, Mexican mint marigold, winter tarragon
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Woods, hillsides and rocky slopes of Southern Mexico to Guatemala.

Pronounciation: Ta-GE-tes lu-CI-da

Hardiness zones
Sunset
8-10, 12-24
USDA 9 (might freeze) to 11

Landscape Use: Accent shrub, herb, sensory, or mixed flower gardens.

Form & Character: An easy to grow garden plant that is upright and open, formal and stiff, stinky (unless one loves licorice candies), tropical.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, short-lived perennial, moderately clumping to 4-feet tall with nearly equal spread.

Foliage/Texture: Glossy green foliage, lanceolate, smooth and entire margins, strongly aromatic; medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Small, terminal, yellow daisy flowers, fruits inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Yellow blooms during winter.

Temperature: Tolerant of desert heat, though one must avoid planting this aromatic shrub in western or reflected exposures. Frost sensitive, damaged by freezes below 28oF.

Light: Full sun

Soil: WELL DRAINED soil it MUST be - no prolonged damp soil conditions. Mexican tarragon generally has a high nutritional requirement, i.e., it's a heavy feeder so lightly fertilizing it every couple of months will be needed for best performance.

Watering: In Phoenix, water nearly daily during hottest times of summer tapering to every 5 to 7 days during winter.

Pruning: Light shearing or tipping to promote tight habit at any time, or prune the whole plant to the ground once a year in early spring.

Propagation: By seed - sow in March, needs warmth. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Also propagate by basal cuttings in spring or by division.

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: Mexican tarragon foliage has a heavy fragrance that is offensive to some. Tagetes lucida 'Anisata'(sweet marigold) is a low growing cultivar reaching only 12-inches tall with a spread of 18 inches.

Biomedical factoids: Mexican tarragon is a plant with MUCH medicinal value.