Mexican Sunflower

Tithonia diversifolia

Also known as Tree Marigold, Japanese Sunflower, Nitobe Chrysanthemum, Bitter Bush, Wonder Plant

At a glance

Family

Asteraceae (the daisy family)

Type

Fast-growing perennial shrub

Parts used

Leaves, flowers

Size

6 to 10 feet tall, sometimes taller in favorable climates

Bloom

Late autumn into winter, when shortening days trigger a flush of golden-orange daisy blooms

Habitat

Roadsides, field edges, and disturbed ground in warm climates; native to Mexico and Central America, now naturalized across tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas

Acquisition

Grow

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditionally used for fevers

Traditional wound care herb

Historic folk diabetes remedy

Excellent pollinator and soil plant

Traditional uses

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Long before it had a place in any garden catalog, Mexican sunflower earned its keep as a village remedy across West Africa, East Africa, and its native Mesoamerica. In Nigeria and Kenya, healers steeped the bitter leaves into a tea for fevers and colds, while fresh leaves were crushed and pressed directly onto cuts and sores to help them close. Traditional healers in Mexico and parts of Africa also turned to the plant as a folk remedy for troubled blood sugar, long before modern researchers took an interest in why. Farmers, meanwhile, prized it for a different reason entirely, cutting its lush growth back into the soil to feed the next season's crops.

How to grow & use it

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Traditional remedies and step-by-step preparations, a complete growing guide, and how to harvest, dry, and store it, all unlocked with HerbLens Unlimited.

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✦ Growing guide
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Pairs well with

✦Lemongrass
✦Ginger
✦Neem

Substitutes

✦Neem
✦Wormwood

Choose it when

“For the fencerow that heals the field and the fever, all in one green and gold armful.”

Did you know?

Farmers across East and West Africa call Tithonia diversifolia the wonder plant, not for any medicine at all, but because its leaves are so rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that chopping them into the soil works almost like a natural fertilizer bag.

Safety

Mexican sunflower's traditional use for fevers and blood sugar has not been confirmed by clinical research, so do not rely on it in place of real treatment. It was traditionally used to lower blood sugar and so may interact with diabetes medication, and it is best avoided during pregnancy or breastfeeding.