Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Tagetes patula

Common name:	French Marigold	Family:	Compositae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	71, 181
Synonyms:	Tagetes lunulata (Ortega.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Southern N. America - Mexico.
Habitat:	The pine-oak forest zone[181]. Naturalized in California where it grows on waste ground[71].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	T. corymbosa[B,P] T. remotiflora[B,P] T. signata[P] T. tenuifolia[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Clavel De Los Muertos [E], Copada [E], Flewurs Souci [E], French Marigold [P,B], Gula Zard [E], Ja'Fari [E], Qadifah [E], Souci [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	patula = spreading
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Argentina China Colombia Dominican Republic Haiti Iraq Kurdistan Philippines Venezuela

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.5m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen in September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Colouring Condiment Drink.

The flowers are used in refreshing drinks[177, 183].
The leaves are used as a food flavouring[183, 238]. No further details are given.
The essential oil is used as a food flavouring, though it is inferior to the oil obtained from T. minuta[238].
The dried flowers are an adulterant of saffron(Crocus sativus), used for colouring foods yellow[183, 238].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Aromatic Digestive Diuretic Sedative.

The whole herb is aromatic, digestive, diuretic and sedative[238]. It is used internally in the treatment of indigestion, colic, severe constipation[238], coughs and dysentery[218]. Externally, it is used to treat sore eyes and rheumatism[238]. The leaves are harvested as required for immediate use during the growing season, whilst the flowering plant can be dried and stored for later use[238].

Other Uses

Dye Essential Insecticide Repellent.

Secretions from the roots of growing plants have an insecticidal effect on the soil, effective against nematodes and to some extent against keeled slugs[18, 20, 200, 218]. These secretions are produced about 3 - 4 months after sowing[200].
The whole plant is harvested when in flower and distilled for its essential oil[218, 238].The oil is used in perfumery, it is blended with sandalwood oil to produce 'attar genda' perfume[238]. About 35 kilos of oil can be extracted from 1 hectare of the plant (yielding 2,500 kilos of flowers and 25,000 kilos of herbage)[218].
The whole plant contains substances that are toxic to cockroaches[218].
The growing plant repels whitefly and can be grown near tomatoes to keep that crop free of the insect[18, 20].
A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[169]. It is used to colour foods and textiles[238]. The flowers are sometimes used as an adulterant of saffron (obtained from Crocus sativus)[238].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils and in sandy soils[188].
A very ornamental plant[1], there are many named varieties[188].
A good butterfly plant[30].
Removing dead flowers before the seed is formed will extend the flowering season[188].
The bruised leaves emit a refreshing pungent smell[245].
Plants are prone to slugs, snails and botrytis[188].
The French marigold is often used as a companion plant, especially for growing amongst tomatoes and potatoes where it helps to repel pests[238]. See 'Other uses' below for more details.

Propagation

Seed - sow March in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: The bruised leaves emit a refreshing pungent smell[245].

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[30] Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982 ISBN 0-330-26642-x
An excellent book on Lepidoptera, it also lists their favourite food plants.

[71] Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[181] Pesman. M. W. Meet Flora Mexicana. Dale S. King. Arizona. 1962
Very readable flora but rather lacking botanically. A few notes on useful plants.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Tagetes+patula
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Tagetes+patula

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.