Mexican Marigold

Long before it brightened suburban flowerbeds, Tagetes erecta was cempasúchil to the Aztec and Nahua peoples, the marigold whose bold color and sharp scent were believed to guide the spirits of the dead home during what became Día de los Muertos. In traditional Mexican herbal practice, the petals were steeped into washes and teas used to comfort an upset stomach and to soothe irritated skin and minor wounds. The flower traveled with colonial trade routes into India, where it was folded into Ayurvedic skin preparations and grew so beloved as a garland and offering flower that fields of it now ring temples and market stalls across the country. Gardeners came to prize it for a second, more practical gift: its roots release compounds that discourage nematodes and other pests, making it a longtime companion planted alongside vegetables.