Mexican Tarragon and St. Michael

In my garden today, September 29, the Mexican tarragon plants have started to bloom, as seen in the photo above.   Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida) is a plant native to Mexico, known as Yautli, in Náhuatl language, and Pericón, in Spanish.  Yautli was used in ancient Maya and Mexica (Aztec) ceremonies as a type of incense, applied to their medicine and cuisine, or ingested as a mild hallucinogenic.  Later on, during Spanish colonial times, the bright yellow flowers of pericón were used in arrangements for church, and often shaped as crosses, to protect houses from evil. September 29 is also marked on Christian calendars as Michaelmas or the Feast of St. Michael.  According to the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, Archangel Michael leads the heavenly army against “the dragon” (Satan), ultimately prevailing over evil; the devil is then thrown down to earth with his forces (the fallen angels).  In some regions in Central Mexico, crosses are still made of Yautli and are hung on front doors and at the corners of corn fields before the harvest and in honour of the Archangel Michael, on the night before September 29, following the belief that evil is still lurking around on Earth, but that St. Michael will protect homes and crops. 

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Since here in Southern Ontario, Canada, my Yautli flowers are not in full disclosure until mid to late October, I usually just take photos now, and tag the crop of bright yellow flowers to be used for my Day of the Day offerings, on November 2.

UPDATE (October 31, 2025): Check out my Day of the Dead humble offering, with the yautli cross from my garden:

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I am sharing this post at Thursday Favourite Things #731 with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, Pam @ An Artful Mom and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.