Tagetes lemmonii (Lemmon's marigold)

Japanese name: レモンマリゴールド
Scientific name: Tagetes lemmonii

[Overview]
An evergreen perennial or shrub 1.8 m tall, sometimes reaching 2.4 m.
The leaves have a strong, pungent fragrance like a mixture of lemon and mint, and in its native range deer reportedly dislike it and leave it uneaten.
It branches freely and grows densely.
Leaves are alternate, up to 12 cm long, deeply pinnately divided, with 3–7 lanceolate lobes and toothed margins.
Deep yellow flower heads 2.5–3.5 cm across are borne in flat cymose clusters at the stem tips.
Each flower head consists of 3–8 ray florets on the periphery and 12–30 tubular florets gathered in the center.
The fruit is an achene.

[Uses]
Because the secretions from its roots are effective in repelling nematodes and slugs, it is used as a companion plant when growing vegetables.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by stem cuttings.
It tolerates temperatures down to about −5°C, so it can overwinter outdoors in areas without frost.
In other areas, protect it from the cold by cutting it back to about 1/3 of its height and laying straw around it.
If the site is sunny and well drained, it grows well regardless of soil type.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long sunny spell and the soil becomes severely dry.
Too much fertilizer produces only leaves and makes flowering difficult, so unless the soil is very poor, base fertilizer alone is sufficient.
The plant tends to grow tall, so cutting it back to 1/2–1/3 of its height in early summer makes it less likely to fall over and increases the number of branches and flowers.
Spider mites can occur.

[Notes]
"Lemon" in the name comes from the Lemmon couple, who discovered it.

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