aztec_marigold mexican_marigold cempazuchitl cempasuchil
[i]Tagetes erecta[/i], the [[Aztec]] marigold, Mexican marigold, big marigold, cempazúchitl or cempasúchil, is a species of flowering plant in the genus [i]Tagetes[/i] native to [[Mexico]]. Despite being native to the Americas, it is often called the [[Africa]] marigold. In Mexico, this plant is found in the wild in the states of México, Michoacán, [[State of Puebla|Puebla]], and [[State of Veracruz|Veracruz]].

Strongly associated with festivals of the dead since pre-Columbian times, it is used widely in [[Dia de Muertos]] festivals. Whole flowers are often included as part of [[ofrenda]], while carpets of petals are laid to guide souls of the dead to it.
cempoalxochitl