Mexican marigold

The orange “flower of the dead” – its petals mark the way for souls to home altars on the Día de Muertos.

An annual growing to a metre tall, with pinnate, strongly scented leaves and large, double flower heads in shades of gold and orange. It comes from Mexico and Guatemala, where the Aztecs already grew it and used it in medicine; its Nahuatl name means “twenty-petalled flower”. Today it is a popular bedding plant around the world, and its flowers are also a source of the yellow pigment lutein. Its pungent smell repels some pests, so it is planted in vegetable gardens.

Significance in the country

In late October and early November millions of cempasúchil flowers decorate offering altars (ofrendas), graves and streets during the Día de Muertos – a festival on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. The colour and scent of the flowers are meant to guide the souls of the dead to their families’ homes.

Where it grows

Grown throughout the country for the Day of the Dead, above all in the states of Puebla, Michoacán, Oaxaca, México, Hidalgo and Tlaxcala and in Xochimilco in the capital.

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