Tagetes lucida

RHS Plant Profile
sweet mace

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Tagetes lucida?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
sweet mace RHS

Other common names

death flower, sweet-scented marigold, sweet-scented Mexican marigold

Herbaceous Perennial Herbs - Culinary
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
10 Suppliers

A tender, bushy perennial, often grown as an annual, up to 75cm high. Its aromatic, glossy green, linear leaves, to 7.5cm long, are used as a tarragon substitute in Mexican cooking. Clusters of small, golden-yellow flowers are borne in late summer and autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H3

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Leaves may cause skin irritation. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus
Tagetes can be annuals or perennials of upright growth, with strongly aromatic pinnately divided leaves and showy daisy-like, single or double flower-heads in summer and autumn
Name Status
Unresolved
Plant Range
S America

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a well-drained soil in full sun; protect from frost if grown as a perennial

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free