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 well-established companion pairings, and nothing it needs to be kept away from. 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.
Mature height: 1.5 ft
Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. It needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.
When to plant Mexican mint marigold, by zone
Every zone Mexican mint marigold grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8a & 8b | Feb 4–Feb 11 | Apr 1–Apr 8 | Jun 15–Jun 22 |
| 9a & 9b | Dec 28–Jan 4 | Feb 22–Mar 1 | May 8–May 15 |
| 10a & 10b | Dec 12–Dec 19 | Feb 6–Feb 13 | Apr 22–Apr 29 |
| 11a & 11b | Nov 13–Nov 20 | Jan 8–Jan 15 | Mar 24–Mar 31 |
Harvest dates are about 75 days after the sow or plant-out date, not after starting seeds indoors.
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)
Why each variety is listed comes from the source shown next to it. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement. The buy links are separate from those sources: they go to seed suppliers that sell that exact variety, and we may earn a commission on some of them.
Where to buy Mexican mint marigold seeds
None of the seed suppliers we list carries Mexican mint marigold seeds right now. A local garden center or a specialty seed house is the place to look.
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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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