Tagetes minuta. Southern Cone Marigold. Stinking Roger. Black Mint. It smells amazing - like a very potent marigold. Originally from the southern half of South America (it is called by its Quechua name "Wakatay" in Peru) it is now naturalized on all continents except Antartica. The dried leaves are a seasoning; a paste of the leaves is sold as "black mint paste" and used in a Peruvian potato dish called "ocopa"; a tea is used for colds, respiratory inflammations, and stomach problems; and thanks to Moi University in Kenya, it is now used to make a textile dye called Tamidye. According to Professor RK Mibey, who created this dye, each plant has more than 29,000 seeds. This is why it comes back every year at Roughwood on its own. Professor Mibey creates this non-chemical environmentally-friendly dye to make seven to ten colors from a plant that is considered a nuisance in farmers fields in Kenya. I love that kind of thing. Reminds me of Dr. George Washington Carver. #lifegoals #tagetesminuta #wakatay #southernconemarigold #stinkingroger #blackmint #marigold #tagetes #asteraceae #rkmibey #professormibey #moiuniversity #tamidye #drcarver #georgewashingtoncarver #ocopa #roughwoodseedcollection #herbaltea #thankswikipedia