Tagetes filifolia aka Irish Lace

Tagetes filifolia, or Irish lace, belongs to the daisy family. Kew lists its native range as northwestern Argentina. Useful Tropical Plants gives a broader range, from Mexico to northern Argentina. That range spans Central America and western South America. It grows on damp plains and slopes, often among rocks. It also occurs in pine-oak woods and in cornfields.

Garden sources describe this plant as an upright, branched annual. Kew instead classes its growth form as a subshrub. Its stated garden height is about 1.3 feet [0.4 metres]. The broader reported range is 0.3–1.6 feet [0.08–0.5 metres]. It grows fast, according to Plants For A Future. The plant has a strong anise or liquorice scent. Insects pollinate its flowers, which have both male and female organs. Plants For A Future also lists it as self-fertile.

Give Irish lace full sun and soil that drains well. It needs soil with a moderate level of nutrients. Both sandy ground and heavy clay can suit it. It also grows in loam, with mildly acid to mildly alkaline soil. Plants For A Future lists dry or moist soil as suitable. It does not grow in shade. Useful Tropical Plants describes it as a tender annual for temperate gardens. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11. Plant seedlings outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.

Irish lace suits garden beds and grows well beside tomatoes. Remove spent flowers before seeds form to prolong the flower display. Slugs, snails and botrytis can cause problems. Sow seeds under glass in March, with only a light covering. Seeds tend to sprout within two weeks. Move seedlings into separate pots once they can be handled. The plant also grows wild, where people gather it for local use.

People use the scented plant to flavour food and make tea. Useful Tropical Plants records a whole-plant infusion used as a diuretic. This is a record of folk use, not proven treatment. The same source reports use as an insect repellent. Both plant-use sources list no known hazards for this species. That statement does not establish safety for every use or for pets.