Sweet Mace-Mexican Tarragon

[honu]

It's actually in the marigold family, Tagetes lucida.
I love this plant -- no pests or disease problems, and edible flowers and leaves add a nice anise flavor to salads and teas:

[Suze]

No spider mite or whitefly problems with this one? Are you sure? Wonder if it attracts thrips?

Pretty plant.

[honu]

Thanks Suze. I love the fragrance released when I brush against it.
So far, crossing my fingers, no evidence of spidermites or whitefly or anything else on this plant... but of course, that can change at any time.
The spidermites are probably too busy attacking my tomato plants, mints, and basil.

[jan]

Pretty plant; thanks for posting it, honu!

Now, can I ship you a deer to see if she eats it? ;-P

~jan, looking through the herb books tonight to plan for the spring

[celticman]

It is easy to grow comes back in zone 7/8 were I live and is an all around nice herb to grow
Celtic

[blatanna]

We use Tagates as a companion plant alongside our tomatoes to ward off greenfly and whitefly. We also use Calandula, another member of the Marigold family for the same purpose.It works very well especially in the greenhouse.

[DavidinCT]

Ordered seeds last week to put in pots with Orange Pixie, Canary Yellow and Balconi (red and yellow) tomatoes. Seed Savers Exchange mentions Southwestern chefs make a pesto out of Sweet Mace. Anyone know of a recipe? Haven't found one on the net. Wonder if it is simply substitued for basil or needs to be toned down with something else and what it's served with.

[honu]

Wonder if it is simply substitued for basil or needs to be toned down with something else and what it's served with.

DavidinCT, Sweet Mace has an anise flavor. I would not use it as a basil substitute. Some use it as a tarragon substitute in places like here, where it is too hot & humid for tarragon to grow.

[DavidinCT]

honu...Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant, Is sweet mace pesto made with the same ingredients--olive oil, parmesean cheese, pine nuts-- as basil pesto? Sicilians sometimes cut back on the basil and add tomatoes to pesto. Wonder if that would work with sweet mace as a replacement for the basil (or perhaps basil and sweet mace are used together in the recipe Seed Savers refers to).

[Suze]

Ann, did you know this was a perennial? I did not:

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/318/index.html

Thanks again for the seeds, I started some a couple of weeks ago.

Kind of reminds me of Tagetes lemmonii (Copper Canyon Daisy) in appearance.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/54284/index.html

(Copper Canyon Daisy is a highly sought after native/drought tolerant plant by many in Texas)

[honu]

Hi Suze, I didn't know either. Thanks for the links! Did yours sprout? I just love the anise fragrance. Unfortunately, mine is not looking very well right now. Now that I see "do not overwater" in the Dave's Garden link, I'm realizing it could be all the nightly rain we've been having. Not good for the tomatoes either. But my radishes and beets are happy. Tagetes lemmonii sounds like a good one too. I haven't tried that one.

[Suze]

Yes, my seeds sprouted. It's growing slowly, though.