From Wildflowers to Gardens The Journey of Marigolds
From Wildflowers to Gardens The Journey of Marigolds Marigolds are some of the most popular flowers in gardens today, but they didn’t start in Europe, they began far away in the Americas. These bright, cheerful flowers have a long history and a journey that’s really interesting to explore. What You will learn in this article Origin and cultural roots Global expansion Purpose and function Where Did Marigolds Originally Come From? Marigolds started out as wildflowers in parts of Central and South America, especially in Mexico. They grew in open fields and sunny areas long before anyone planted them in gardens. The Aztecs were some of the first people to use them. They loved marigolds for ceremonies, decorations, and traditional purposes, and they may have even started planting them on purpose to keep the brightest flowers around. How Did Marigolds First Travel Outside the Americas? Marigolds didn’t stay in the Americas forever. In the early...