Marigolds are called American and French but they all originate in Africa.

flowers differ, but they're all Tagetes, except there is a "Pot Marigold" that's a different family [Calendula officinalis] that's considered an herb, and which was used to color butter and cheese

Bill

"Marigold" is the European name for Calendula and the American name for the annual species of Tagetes. Both are in the same family (Asteraceae). Calendula, although not as common as Tagetes in America, it's still a very popular ornamental bedding plant here.

Of the annual species of Tagetes, the two most common are: Tagetes patula, a small species that is commonly called "French Marigold" and Tagetes erecta, a bigger species that was commonly called "African Marigold" and now, more recently, called "American Marigold". Both are native of Mexico ("the Americas"), not Africa nor France. These two have been crossed to form a series of interspecific triploid hybrids (e.g. "Signet", "Zenith", "Belle" series).

Joe

Thanks gardenguru, I trusted my memory on that one and was wrong. South America it is.