Stats

Lifespan: Annual
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: Central America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

The French marigold is native to Mexico and Guatemala despite its name — it earned the 'French' label after 16th-century French gardeners popularised it across Europe. Its pungent foliage releases terpenes that repel aphids and whiteflies, making it a classic companion plant in vegetable gardens.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Tagetes
Species: Tagetes patula