If you're honoring your loved ones this upcoming Day of the Dead, planting cempasúchil for your ofrenda might be easier than you think.
Cempasúchil, also known as marigolds, are one of the iconic flowers of Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, a tradition from Mexico and Latin America that celebrates love, memory and ancestors. Its seeds carry centuries of stories, nourishing ancestral beliefs that still live in today’s rituals.
We recently visited Cristina Juarez at her shop, Inecui Flowers in City Heights located inside City Farmers Nursery. Juarez spilled the seeds, and gave us the scoop on a simple way to plant marigolds at home. (Jump to instructions.)
Juarez' personal story shows how flowers can root us in something deeper.
“(It's) one of the first flowers that I ever planted. As we know, seeds migrate with people, and I am from Mexico, and when I came here, I don't know, I just like had this need to continue to follow like, traditions from culture in Mexico that I grew up with," she said. "Ever since I’ve been farming, we started planting cempasúchil and have been offering that to our community."
Juarez noted marigolds have many uses that go beyond tradition.
“You can actually, like, use this for medicinal purposes. You can eat it. Actually, cempasúchil is edible. You can make it like, use it for oil," she said. "It’s really good for the skin. You can use it in your ofrenda (altar) this year."
Keep in mind that while the petals of some marigold varieties are edible, they must be sourced carefully. Only consume flowers grown specifically for culinary use to ensure they are free of pesticides. Marigolds are also believed to contribute to a healthy ecosystem and attract pollinators among other benefits.
How to plant marigold (cempasúchil) seeds:
1. Gather your seeds
Start with dried marigold flowers or seeds bought at a local nursery or online.
If you have dried marigolds, remove the petals and separate them from the seeds.
2. Fill a tray with soil
Use an empty planting tray or small pots and fill each one with potting soil.
3. Create space for your seeds
With the lower half of your fingertip make a small hole in the soil.
4. Sow the seeds
Place 3 or 4 seeds in each hole. If more than one sprouts, thin them out. The idea is to have one plant (seedling) per hole.
5. Covering the seeds
Lightly cover the seeds with the same soil and gently pat the soil down.
6. Water seeds
Add water to the soil. Water your seeds every day to keep the soil moist. If it’s hot outside, water twice a day: morning and afternoon.
7. Welcome sunlight
Find and keep the tray outside in a sunny location.
Juarez' tips for success:
🌱Soil
Use potting mix to help your seeds grow healthy.
If you want to use soil from your garden, mix in compost or other organic materials to improve the quality of the soil.
💧Water
Keep soil moist, but don’t add too much water, it can rot your seeds.
Hot weather dries soil fast. Check on your seeds and the moisture often.
𓇢Seeds
You can buy marigold or cempasúchil seeds at local nurseries or online.
