Mexican Marigold

Mexican Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii) is the shrub for the hot, dry, neglected corner where nothing else will flower. It grows fast to about 2m tall and 2m wide, covers itself in small golden yellow to orange daisies, and the finely cut foliage releases a sharp citrus and mint scent whenever you brush past. It came from the mountains of southern Arizona and northern Mexico, which explains the toughness.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers when little else does. The heaviest flush comes through the cooler months, filling the gap between the last of summer and spring.
• Genuinely drought tolerant. Once established it lives on rainfall in most temperate and Mediterranean gardens.
• Poor soil is not a problem. Thin, rocky, sandy or unimproved ground all suit it. Rich, wet soil is what makes it flop.
• Aromatic foliage. Strongly scented leaves, which is why gardeners plant it along paths and beside vegetable beds.
• Bee and butterfly traffic. Hundreds of small open daisies, easy for pollinators to work.

Where it works best

Informal flowering hedges. Plant 1m apart. It knits into a loose, billowing hedge within a season, best kept at 1.2m to 1.5m rather than allowed its full height.

Mass planting on tough sites. Batters, road verges, dry slopes and the far end of a rural block. At 1m centres it covers ground quickly and needs almost nothing from you.

Borders and feature planting. Set it at the back of a dry border, with lower plants in front to hide the leggy base.

Growing Mexican Marigold in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and plenty of it. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, an unusually wide range. Frost tolerance is light only: a hard frost cuts it back, though established plants normally reshoot from the base in spring.

Soil. Anything that drains. Sandy and gravelly ground is ideal, and there is no need to improve it. Heavy clay is the one real limit, so mound the bed if that is what you have.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to get the roots down, then only in extended dry spells. Skip the fertiliser. Feeding pushes soft growth, which means fewer flowers and a shrub that splits open in wind.

Pruning. This is the one job it asks for. Cut it back hard, by up to half, once the main flush finishes. Left alone it goes woody and open at the base within two or three years.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in two sizes: tube stock, and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Both are young plants, which is normal for a shrub that grows this fast. Tube stock catches a 140mm plant within a season, so for a hedge run or a mass planting the tubes are the sensible buy.

Plants travel well because the foliage is fine and light. Expect a metre of growth in the first year in a warm garden, and first flowers in the first cool season after planting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more drought tolerant plants
• Plants that thrive in poor soil
• Aromatic plants gardeners use to deter pests
• Compare the fragrant plant range

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart. It spreads to about 2m wide, so at 1m centres the plants overlap into a continuous informal screen without crowding each other into bare stems.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost, yes. A hard frost will burn the top growth back, but an established plant with a woody base usually reshoots in spring. In cold inland districts treat it as a plant that resets each winter.

Does it need cutting back every year?

Yes, and it is the difference between a good plant and a scruffy one. Take up to half the growth off after the main flush and it comes back dense from low down.