Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico, Central America
Types
Guaiacum officinale
African or American Marigolds, French Marigolds, Mule Marigolds
Number of Varieties
350
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Roadsides, wastelands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Yellow, Orange, Gold, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Allow to dry out slightly between watering
In Summer
Consistently
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Prune ocassionally, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Alternaria Leaf Spot, Bacterial leaf spot, Damping-off, Gray mold, Powdery mildew, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Burns, constipation, Inflammation, Upset stomach, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Flowers, Seeds
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Flower borders
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
Tagetes lucida
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
sweetscented marigold, Mexican marigold
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
sweetscented marigold
In German
Lignum Vitae
süß duftend Ringelblume
In French
Lignum Vitae
Yauhtli
In Spanish
Palo santo
pericón, Santa María, yerbanís
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
γλυκό άρωμα κατιφέ
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Tarragon Mexicano
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
słodkie pachnące nagietka
In Latin
lignum Vitae
sweetscented marigold
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Asterales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Tagetes
Clade
-
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
350
1
27800
👆🏻