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Tagetes
lemmonii * Bush Marigold, Mexican Tarragon |
| Prior to
seeing the Bush Marigold I had always thought that marigolds were these fluffy things in front of
gas stations and shopping centers. I was walking through the Huntington Gardens in
San Marino around Thanksgiving and saw Tagetes lemmonii for the first time. The genus Tagetes
took on new meaning for me. I located a couple of Tagetes lemmonii
plants at a nursery and planted them about 2
feet back from the entrance to my yard on each side of the walk. The plants were
gorgeous but in a very short time they consumed the walk and put out a strong
fragrance every time I walked through.
The scent stuck with me for awhile too. This was fine so long as I was poking
about the yard but rather unusual as a cologne. I plant the Mexican
Tarragon back a bit from the
walk now. And I enjoy this fall blooming plant from mid summer through the first of the year
or hard frost. Tagetes lemmonii plants get about 6 feet in diameter and lose their foliage to frost at
about 25 F. But they usually come back from temperatures dipping into
the high teens.
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