Tithonia diversifolia

Botanical Description

Tithonia diversifolia is a robust plant that can vary significantly in habit. Sometimes an unbranched or sparsely-branched annual, it can also be a short-lived perennial, or the plant can become shrub-like with more or less woody stems. It can grow from 1 - 5 metres tall[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and fuel. It is sometimes grown as a companion plant, helping to improve the soil and increasing the yields of a range of crops. It is also often grown as an ornamental.