the.com/marigold
the flower that scares pests, dyes fabric, and crowns the dead with gold
means A bright orange or yellow garden flower of the genus Tagetes (or Calendula), prized for its showy petals, its pest-repelling reputation, and its ceremonial use.
from A blend of "Mary" — the Virgin Mary, to whom the golden blooms were dedicated in medieval Christian devotion — and the plain English "gold," for the color of the petals. Earlier English knew the flower simply as "golde" or "ruddes"; the holy "Mary" was added later, gilding an ordinary bloom with sanctity.
- pest guard
- Roots repel root-knot nematodes from neighboring crops
- day of dead
- Petals guide Mexican souls home each November
- edible gold
- Petals tint cheese, butter, and cheap saffron
- chicken trick
- Fed to hens for richer yellow yolks
- name origin
- Mary's gold, named for the Virgin Mary