We may call them French or African, but marigolds are native to Mexico.
The Spanish took them home where they flourished in North African and Iberian gardens. Linnaeus named the African and French species Tagetes after Tages, a grandson of Zeus who taught the Etruscans omens about weather. Eventually they arrived in England where they were called “marigolds” because they resembled calendulas, pot marigolds.
You may wonder where the English term “marigold” came from. The Romans gave the calendula its name because this cool season annual bloomed for months on end. “Calend” is the Latin term for the first day of a month. This is another edible flower which was also an herbal medicine. During the early Middle Ages monks taught that Mary wore the flower as a symbol of the golden glow around her head. Thus, it came to be called marigold or Mary-buds.
We use three of the fifty species of Tagetes in our gardens. All have strongly aromatic foliage and boldly colored flowers. Tall African marigolds have large, neon bright orange or yellow flowers. French marigolds are much more compact and have numerous small flowers in a broad range of colors including bicolor flowers. The “Zenith” series is a hybrid of these two species that blooms for months without deadheading.
Edible signet marigolds have lemon scented foliage with single yellow or orange flowers. I have rarely seen them in garden centers, but they are easy to start from seed. Wait until the soil temperature warms as it is essential for root development. I like to plant them with vegetables or herbs because they repel insects. The petals have a spicy flavor similar to tarragon. Be sure to remove the bitter white tip at the base of the petal before eating.
In Mexico, the marigold flower is called la flor de muerto, the flower of death. It is closely associated with the Day of the Dead, a holiday at the first of November. There is a folk tradition that the flowers sprang from the blood of Cortez’s victims when he conquered the Aztecs.
Ann shares this recipe from the cookbook Edible Flowers by Cathy Barash.
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup chopped dates
- 2 tablespoons chopped signet marigold petals
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Mix in butter, milk, dates and marigold petals. Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing just enough to evenly moisten. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins, filling halfway. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Makes 12 muffins.