Growing Mexican Mint Marigold: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 10, 2026
Mexican mint marigold is a tender perennial herb whose anise-scented leaves stand in for French tarragon, a plant that struggles badly in hot, humid climates where this one thrives instead.
Two rounds of pinching
Transplanting is recommended, sowing seed an eighth of an inch deep 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Once seedlings are several inches tall, pinch back the tips to promote branching and prevent the plant from lodging, or flopping over, later on. Repeat that pinch after two weeks. Direct-seeding after the last frost also works, sown a quarter inch deep. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart.
Overwintering north of zone 8
This herb is hardy in zones 8-11 outdoors. Gardeners in colder zones can dig plants in fall before frost and bring them inside as houseplants for winter, then replant outside the following spring rather than treating the plant as a one-season loss.
Harvest and soil
Leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season, fresh or dried. Avoid over-fertilizing, since rich soil pushes lush, weakly flavored growth with fewer flowers rather than the concentrated flavor the plant is grown for.
Mexican mint marigold has no recorded companions or antagonists in our data. See the full companion guide for mexican mint marigold for how it’s tracked. At 2 plants per square foot, it’s a practical tarragon substitute for the Garden Designer in hot-summer climates, brought indoors for winter north of zone 8.
Source: Mexican Mint Marigold: Key Growing Information, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Companion planting guide for Mexican Mint Marigold · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 8-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. Mexican Mint Marigold needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Mexican Mint Marigold plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 2 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1.5 ft.
Varieties worth considering
- Straight-species Mexican mint marigold (Tagetes lucida): Johnny's Selected Seeds sells this species plain and in an organic-seed option; the aromatic leaves that substitute for French tarragon are a trait of the species itself, not a particular cultivar. (source)
Cited from the source shown next to each variety. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement.
Where to buy mexican mint marigold seeds
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a genuine consensus of positive, independent reviews. See the sources cited on each item.
See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing mexican mint marigold" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Mexican Mint Marigold: A tender perennial herb whose anise-scented leaves substitute for French tarragon, which struggles in hot climates where this plant thrives instead.
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