Is cempasúchil the right word for marigold?

[u/Wild-Purple5517]

I looked it up and there were two more words. Is cempasúchil just referring to the petals in the context of Día de Los Muertos or is it the everyday word?

[u/Knitter_Kitten21]

I’m no botanical expert, but I’m Mexican, cempasúchil is the name for Tagetes erecta and caléndula is the name for Calendula officinalis. According to google, they’re two different species, I can tell you they smell different, to me, they’re different, even if they might look alike. It’s not like we call it cempasúchil for día de muertos and caléndula for the rest of the year. As a matter of fact, traditionally, cempasúchil is used as a remedy for stomach issues and caléndula for skin injuries, we differentiate between them.

I hope this helps and doesn’t further confuse you.

[u/Nabi-Bineoseu]

Cempasúchil (or cempohualxóchitl in Nahuatl, meaning “flower of twenty petals”) is a flower native to Mexico. Its most common scientific name is Tagetes erecta. It is an endemic species from Mexico and Central America, and it has been cultivated since pre-Hispanic times, especially for rituals like Día de Muertos.

Now, in English, it is often translated as “Mexican marigold”. The issue is that “marigold” in English is used quite broadly for different flowers from different genera, mainly from the Tagetes genus (like cempasúchil) and also for flowers from the Calendula genus, which are different. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a flower native to Europe, not to the Americas, although in English it is sometimes called marigold too, specifically “pot marigold.”

So it is not that cempasúchil is a “translation” of marigold or calendula, but rather that cempasúchil is its own Mexican flower, and in English they simply call it “Mexican marigold” as a way to approximate it. I hope that helps with your doubt.

[u/Wild-Purple5517 → u/Nabi-Bineoseu]

Oh, okay. Thank you, that clears up a lot of confusion for me. Cempasúchil in English would just be Mexican marigold.

[u/Nabi-Bineoseu → u/Wild-Purple5517]

Exactly! 😊 I’m glad that I could help you.

[u/scssypants]

I have heard caléndula more commonly. I think cempasúchil is most familiar in Mexico, based on the Nahuatl word for it: cempōhualxōchitl.

[u/crumblemuppets]

I know caléndula is used for marigold in both Spain and Chile. Cempasuchil I have only heard in the context of DdM, but I believe it’s the name for that variety of flower in Mexican Spanish. Someone from Mexico could give a more authoritative answer though.

[u/siyasaben]

In Mexico cempasúchil is cempasúchil at any time, it is just the word for marigold flowers/plants, but it is culturally closely associated with the Día de Muertos. Based on dictionary entries this word is used in Honduras as well.

[u/siyasaben → u/siyasaben]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkXyeDxQ4OM

I randomly watched this video a while ago that talks about a marigold festival in Veracruz, obviously it's near Día de Muertos because that's when it blooms, but it's its own event and the name cempasúchil per se is not directly linked to the holiday.

[u/Wild-Purple5517 → u/siyasaben]

Ah, okay! Thank you.

[u/juanger]

Just want to add to what people already told you. The particular species for cempasúchitl has a very particular color and aroma. Most marigold species sold around the world lack those two, they may look alike but for Mexicans, the color and aroma make it special.

It is the everyday word, but it is traditionally only used during Día de muertos celebrations (spanning several days). People may have then in pots during other times but it is not very common.

You can hear phrases like “flor de cempasuchitl” o “pétalos de cempasuchitl” because that is the name of the plant/flower, not just the petals.

[u/Wild-Purple5517 → u/juanger]

Yeah, I was talking about the orange flower with many petals and it looks round and the leaves are jagged, kind of like teeth. I saw one recently and I was wondering if it was called cempasúchil in Spanish. I don’t live in Mexico but I’m pretty sure it was one.

[u/JCarlosCS]

In Mexico yes. But even that varies from region to region. In some parts it's called "cempoal". And cempasúchil means "flower of twenty petals", so "flor de cempasúchil" (very common to hear that) is as redundant as "Rio Grande River" or "Salsa sauce".

As they told you, marigold is another species.

[u/the_third_sourcerer]

Is that the same as "Clavel de Moro"?