Xeriscape Landscaping Plants For The Arizona Desert Environment Pictures
Photos, And Information, Perennials

Mount Lemmon Marigold, Tagetes lemmonii or Tagetes palmeri

Mount Lemmon Marigold, Tagetes lemmonii, Glendale, Arizona, February 21. 2008.

Mount Lemmon Marigold Leaves	Tagetes lemmonii Flowers

Mount Lemmon Marigold Tagetes lemmonii or Tagetes palmeri, Aster or Sunflower Family ( Asteraceae ) also known as the Composite Family: ( Compositae ), Mount Lemmon Marigold; sometimes called Copper Canyon Daisy, Mexican Bush Marigold, Mountain Marigold, Blanket of Sunshine, or Shrub Marigold. Mount Lemmon Marigold is an evergreen, perennial shrub that reaches about 3 feet in height with a spread of up to 6 feet. Because T. lemmonii is found in abundance near Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains east of Tucson, many people assume it was named for that area. Actually it was named after John Gill Lemmon and his wife Sara, who discovered it growing in southeastern Arizona in the late 1800s. In Phoenix, this plant blooms from late winter through early fall. Mount Lemmon Marigold seems to prefer well-drained soils and full sun. It is very heat tolerant, and drought tolerant. Height: About 3 foot tall and 3-6 feet wide. Flowers: One-inch, golden-yellow flower heads appear at the ends of branches. Flowers are composed of 5 to 15 oblong rays 0.12” to 0.8” long surrounding the golden disk 0.24” to 0.8” wide. Blooming Time: February to November. Leaves: Compound, opposite, strongly aromatic, and 2 to 3 inches long. Found: Arizona extending into northern Mexico. Elevation: 0 - 8,000 Feet. Habitat: Sandy desert soils to 8,000'. Miscellaneous: Sonoran desert native, found in the canyons of central and southern Arizona, extending into northern Mexico. Flowering Photos Taken Glendale, Arizona, February 21. 2008.