General: Substitute for French Tarragon. It has a sweet licorice flavor for salads and cooking. Flowers all summer long and also thrives in warmer climates. Medicinally, it is said to be a stimulant and diuretic; and can also improve digestion.

Culinary Uses: Mexican mint marigold has a sweet, anise flavor. Add the fresh leaves to chicken and fish dishes, soups and summer salads. You can preserve the herb and create a tasty dressing by adding fresh leaves to vinegar. Drying the herb is a possibility but it loses much of its potent flavor. The flowers are edible as well and can be used as a focal point in salads or to brighten up desserts.

Medicinal Uses: Mexican mint marigold has historically been used to cure digestive problems when brewed into a mild tea, however, when the tea is brewed stronger the herb has been reputed to relieve the effects of a hangover.

Ornamental Uses: This herb can range from being fairly upright to forms that appear bushy with many unbranching stems, all depending on land race. The leaves are linear to oblong and are a shiny, medium-green color. The flowers are small and a golden-yellow color.