Marigolds



Did you know that Marigolds are a genus from the Daisy family? My grandmother planted Marigolds all over her yard and they have always been a favorite flower of mine. Surprisingly you can also use the flower petal in cooking, as long as they are free of pesticides.

The foliage has a musky, pungent scent, though some later varieties have been bred to be scentless. It is said to deter some common pests. They are often used in companion planting for tomato, eggplant, pepper, tobacco and potato for this very reason. They also have been known to be deer, rabbit and rodent resistant.
The petals of Marigolds are rich in the orange-yellow carotenoid (coloring/dye) and as such used as a food coloring. Marigold is another herb found beneficial in the warts removal. The juice of the leaves of this plant can be applied over warts. The sap from the stem has also been found useful in the removal of warts. This is one among many effective Home Remedy for Warts.

They come in so many color and size variations, easy to plant and draught hardy. Add them to your garden and enjoy the benefits for yourself!
Various Marigold Genus Forms:

Marigold (common), Tagetes
Pot marigold, Calendula
Mexican marigold, Tagetes erecta
Tree marigold, Tithonia diversifolia
Desert marigold, Baileya multiradiata
Corn marigold, Glebionis segetum
Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris
Thank you to Katie Pertiet for the beautiful image.

2 comments:

  1. These flowers are the genus Calendula not Tagetes, which is the French or African marigold and quite different.

    Calendula petals have been used since the middle ages as a physic, hence the species, officinalis.

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  2. The article in particular was to talk about the marigold. Both tagetes and calendula are genus forms as well as several others that I have now listed.

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