Tagetes lemmonii at the former Belrose Nursery in SydneyIn the same genus as garden marigolds, this shrubby winter-flowering plant is sometimes known as the mountain marigold or passionfruit marigold, and is from Mexico and Arizona. It grows around 1-1.5 m tall and quite wide. It has masses of small golden-yellow daisy flowers amidst ferny foliage, which smells exactly of ripe passionfruit. It is a drought-tolerant plant for a sunny position.
Tagetes lemmoniiIt makes a brilliant companion for other hot-coloured winter-flowering plants from Mexico, such as glowing red Salvia gesneriiflora 'Tequila', poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and shrubby Lobelia laxiflora. If it is trimmed back lightly after flowering, a second blooming may occur in late spring. It can then be cut back fairly hard to keep it from becoming straggly.