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Tagetes lemmonii, or Lemmon's marigold,[1] is a North American species of shrubby marigold, in the family Asteraceae. Other English names for this plant include Copper Canyon daisy, mountain marigold, Mexican marigold, and Passionfruit Marigold.[2][3]
It is native to the states of Sonora and Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico as well as southern Arizona in the United States.[4][5]
Tagetes lemmonii is a shrub sometimes reaching as much as 240 cm (8 feet) tall.
Leaves are up to 12 cm (4.8 inches) long, pinnately compound into 3-5 leaflets, each leaflet narrowly lance-shaped with teeth along the edge.
The plant produces many small flower heads in a flat-topped array, each head with 3-8 ray florets and 12-30 disc florets. It grows in woodlands, cliffs, and moist sites.[5]
The species is named for John Gill Lemmon, husband of American botanist Sarah Plummer Lemmon.[6]
Tagetes lemmonii blooms from fall into spring and can sometimes be blooming for up to 10 months. It can get up to 8 feet tall by across. The foliage is pungent when disturbed. The species is very drought tolerant in a Mediterranean climate and much used in California gardens where it tolerates light frosts without damage.