By Ines Keane
Kew calls it “the flower of the dead.” The same plant also goes by Aztec marigold, big marigold and, wrongly, African marigold. This piece looks at what the name means, where the plant grows and what else it is used for, using a botanical garden, Wikipedia and a farmer’s page, and says where they disagree.
One plant, several names
Wikipedia lists the common names of Tagetes erecta as Aztec marigold, Mexican marigold, big marigold and cempasúchil, also written cempaxochitl. It adds that despite its American origin the plant is often called “African marigold.” The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, gives it as Mexican marigold, Tagetes erecta, in the daisy family, Asteraceae.
What the name means
Wikipedia says cempasúchil comes from the Nahuatl cempohualxochitl, meaning “twenty flower,” but notes that the broader Nahuatl term, spelled cempoalxóchitl in the same article, was applied to several Tagetes species, so the name is not exclusive to this plant. A farmer’s blog page on the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Massachusetts site gives the Nahuatl as “cemooalxochiyl” and the meaning as “the flower of twenty petals.” The two do not agree on spelling or on “flower” against “petals.” We do not choose. Our reading: Nahuatl terms were written in several ways by different people, and an exact original spelling is not what these sources set out to establish.
“Marigold,” Wikipedia adds, refers to the arrangement of the petals resembling Calendula officinalis, which is a different plant.
Where it grows
Wikipedia says the plant is native to Mexico and Central America, with wild populations in the states of México, Michoacán, Puebla, Veracruz and Guerrero, and that it was introduced to Europe after the Spanish conquest. Kew gives the native range as Guatemala and several regions of Mexico. The two lists differ in detail, and we leave them as they are.
Height
Wikipedia gives 20 to 90 centimeters in its introduction and 30 to 110 centimeters in its description section, which is a conflict inside one article. Kew says 50 centimeters to 1 meter. All three overlap in the middle and we pass them on without picking.
When it flowers
Wikipedia says the plant flowers over a long period through summer and fall and reproduces easily from seed. It calls the plant herbaceous, annual or perennial, without saying which applies in which conditions. Kew is more exact: flowering from June to November, with foliage visible from February to October.
The flower of the dead
Wikipedia says the plant is used in Mexico to decorate altars and tombs for the Day of the Dead, and calls it “flor de muertos.” Kew calls it “the flower of the dead,” says it decorates the altars during the festival and says its color and scent are thought to guide spirits home. The NOFA Mass page says the colors, which range from deep yellows and oranges to rich reds, were linked to the sun and the divine in Mesoamerica. That page is a personal blog and not a scholarly work, so we treat the last claim as a belief reported, not a fact.
On the date: Wikipedia’s article on the holiday says it is traditionally November 1 and 2, with some localities adding October 31 or November 6, the Yucatán Peninsula among them. Britannica says “typically observed on November 1 and 2.” The marigold article says 2 November. These are close, not identical, and we leave them as stated. UNESCO inscribed the celebration in 2008, according to Wikipedia. We did not read UNESCO’s own page.
Other uses
Wikipedia says the ray florets are added to lettuce salads for color and flavor, that flowers are used to make food and feed pigments, and that ground dried petals color egg yolks and the skin of broiler chickens, though an extract is now often used instead. It adds shrimp feed, natural textile dye and ornamental horticulture. Kew says dried petals are fed to livestock, including chickens and shrimp, to enhance color, that the plant produces a yellow dye for textiles and that it is used in traditional medicine for digestive and respiratory problems. We make no health claim.
Dates in order
- June to November: the flowering months, according to Kew.
- 2008: UNESCO inscribes the Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead.
Side by side
The sources agree on the botanical name, the Nahuatl root, the Day of the Dead role and the use as a dye and feed pigment. They differ on the spelling and wording of the Nahuatl name, on the plant’s height, on its native range and on the length of the flowering season. Kew and Wikipedia are the better pair to compare, since both are reference works.
What kind of sources these are
Kew, a botanical garden and research institute; Wikipedia; UNESCO’s listing for the festivity; and a personal blog page by a farmer, which is the weakest source here. We tried the Mexican government’s agriculture pages for production figures, and they would not load, so we give no production numbers. No prices appear.
Questions a buyer would ask
Is it the same plant as a garden marigold? The names overlap, and Wikipedia says some authorities treat French marigold, Tagetes patula, as a synonym while also listing it separately. Is the flower or the seed on offer? The sources say the plant reproduces easily from seed, and say no more. How tall will it get? The three heights above. We name no grower and no seller.
What we left out
Everything about the festival’s origin, which Wikipedia says is disputed among historians. Altar-making steps, food offerings and rituals. Production figures and prices. Claims on websites for flower fields and travel, which we could not weigh.
Quick answers
What does cempasúchil mean? Wikipedia says it comes from the Nahuatl for “twenty flower.” A farmer’s blog gives “the flower of twenty petals.” Wikipedia notes the term covered several marigold species.
When does the Mexican marigold flower? According to Kew, from June to November. Wikipedia says it flowers over a long period through summer and fall.
What is cempasúchil used for besides altars? Wikipedia and Kew both say it colors feed, including egg yolks and shrimp feed, and Kew says it makes a yellow textile dye.
Related on this site: xochimilco-canals-chinampas-trajineras, mariachi-instruments-history-unesco, nixtamal-masa-tortilla-lime-corn
Roam first. Shop later.