Maybe not the most glamorous flower in the plant kingdom, they bloom too much, too long and never change - or so Henry Mitchell wrote in his book "One Man's Garden". So after years of neglect (on my part), I'm back to an old argument, if they weren't called marigolds but tagetes, we'd like them more.
Yes, the lowly marigold can even base it's entire history on one misconception after another. The word marigold is actually a different plant, from the name Mary's Gold, it refers to Calendula officinalis or the pot marigold. Then come the French and African marigolds, all of which are actually Mexican or South American, early escapees, invading places and then claimed as their own.
To be really fair they are tagetes, pronounced ta-gee-tees, and there are between 40 and 50 species. Two species, T. patula and T. erecta are used by breeders for our garden plants, one species T. tenuifolia is more popular in India, Thailand and the Ukraine, used for decoration, medicine and food. I can't help but wonder why only 3 species play a role in breeding when there are at least 37 others.
Many companies have banked on breeding marigolds with the Burpee Seed Company paying $10,000. to the breeder of the first white form. All from a challenge (1954), in part to draw attention to what a wonderful annual it is, but also to elevate their own breeding program. The winner, Mrs. Alice Vonk, a backyard gardener, won (1975) with a hybrid she named 'Snowball', which began an entirely new direction for marigold flower breeding.
Most species of marigolds are native to Mexico, the flowers are used every year to decorate cemetery plots on All Souls Day or Day of the Dead. Cemeteries have become fertile ground for wild marigolds after centuries of piling up their flowers. Locally known as Flor de Muerto or flower of the dead, it's a bright color for a day of celebration, a day to remember those that have passed in a happy way. It could have been the dahlia, or tithonia, both natives of Mexico.
For a time there was an American Marigold Society, no record ever of an American Tagetes Society. Perhaps it's time to elevate the lovely little yellow, orange or white flower that blooms all summer. Set the record straight, it should have been tagetes from the start, ban the word marigold.
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