Felix --- You live in or near Orlando, right? Well, our speaker for the Tropical Fruit Club on Monday is a master herbalist. We meet at Leu Gardens. If you prefer to send her an email you can check out her website dawnsenchantedgarden.com Dawn knows all about home grown teas. She has me drinking olive leaf tea from my (edible not ornamental) olive trees. Hope that helps.

Christine

I was thinking it was not edible...
There are a couple links where someone said it was edible, but most times it is mentioned there is no talk of it being edible. Tagetes lucida, aka Mexican Mint Marigold is edible and I wonder if the links that said it was edible got the two mixed up. ??? ...Especially the following link which calls it lemon mint marigold.
http://www.millcreekgardensohio.com/PlantLists/Herbs3.htm
Anyway, I guess I would be cautious about eating it.

If you like it now, wait until it blooms this fall. ;-)

Tagetes lemonii is the one they often sell as Lemon Desert marigold or Lemon Desert tagetes. The other one is more often sold as Mexican Tarragon. That one is definitely edible, and tastes just like tarragon. I've never used it in tea, but I've often added to chicken dishes, etc.

The Lemon Desert one...I don't know. I like the smell of it personally, but many people call it Stinky Marigold and hate the odor. I have no idea if it can be used as a tea or not, and hope you find out, Felix. Please let us know if you do.

Marcia

Judy,thank you so much for that wonderful plant as well as the other ones I got from you. As I said earlier,I love the scent. When ever I weed around there,I pinch and smell. Then my mouth waters.
Marcia,you may remember that I also have Mexican tarragon. You identified her for me awhile back. That one I have made tea and it is very good.
Felix

Hmmm, I never thought of making a "tea" from the Mex. tarragon. Actually, it's not a tea since it isn't tea leaves, it's an infusion. :o) But I love the plant and the flowers are wonderful as a bonus. I use it in cooking too. I'll have to try it as an infusion now. :o)

Christine, I e mailed Dawn and asked her about T.lemonii.
Now,I'm waiting for her reply. Thanks.
Katkin,I really like infusions of Mex. tarragon.
One of my favorite infusions are of "Tilo",it also has a calming affect. Nice to relax and sip on it. I planted tilo years ago and she comes up right after our winters. Very good plant,reliable.
Enjoy,Felix

Hi Felix,:o). I had never heard of tilo and had to do a search. They said it has a faint vanilla flavor and makes a great drink. I'll have to be on the look out for the plant. You said it's easy to grow and the search said it had orchid like flowers, so it sounds perfect. Can you post a picture of the flowers? After dinner we both enjoy Chai tea to relax with. But this could be a nice change.

Katkin,
I'll try taking a picture of the Tilo and it's flowers,
tomorrow,when there is light.
The flowers are little and lavender.
Felix

Thanks Felix, where did you get yours? ;o)

Hi Felix

I am familiar with tilo, that looks like a small tree. The flowers are big and in clusters and they are white. It is commonly used for calming effects as an infusion and it has a good taste. Are you talking about this tilo or this other tilo? I bought from Seminole, and it is different, pretty flowers, small, purple and is a shade plant, blooms a lot. Since I was not familiar whit this tilo, I did not drink it.:o)

Kathy
If Felix is talking about the same plant, is a ground cover. Here is a picture.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: tilo

Hi,Kat!
There are no flowers at the moment on both mounds of my tilo. I think they flower later in the season/?/
I bought one at "Turkey Road Nursery" in Belleview. Then my wife forgot that we had one,That's how much she gardens,HA HA!,she came home with another plant of tilo.
Silvia,thank you for the picture,that's the one I have.
I have heard of the one that is a tree. I have never seen it. When I started researching tilo,I was taken to "linden". The information said it was a tree,I got confused then. All I know is the Tilo that you posted the picture as been the one that I was given by my family,as a child,in Cuba.
You are correct,Silvia. It grows as a ground cover in semi shade.
Felix

Felix
We had one tilo growing on our backyard when I was a child. When something happened, my father brew the tea.lol. The tree is beautiful and very good scent, tea has a very good flavor.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: tilo

Thank you,Silvia.
Boy,we are all learning so much,he he he.
Felix

I got the information from the Herbalist,friend of Christine,on the Tagetes. Thanks,Christine!

Here is Dawn's reply;
"Most of the Tagetes species are not eatable (actually poisionous), however there are some topical applications as an additive in a bath for people with severe greif or depression. Other then that I don't know much about it other then as an insect repellant. Good luck!!

Herbal Blessings,
Dawn
Dawnsenchantedgarden.com"

What I notice is that,Dawn is saying about "most
Tagetes",not specifically"lemmonii".
I will try to continue to research the lemmonii
but in the mean time,I will not eat it.
I wrote back to Dawn,to thank her and told her that I would share her information on this forum.
Felix

Thought I’d comment on an old post, in case still relevant for some. The names are often interchanged but the species are not, of course. The Tagetes Lemonii variety, most often referred to as Mexican Marigold, has one edible part & that is the flowers. Both the rays & the disk florets. I think You can now also find this online. I love my plant !