Mexican sunflower
Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray
Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) is a shrubby daisy-family plant with showy yellow-orange flower heads 5–15 cm wide; native to Mexico, it is now pantropical, famous in Vietnam's Đà Lạt highlands and used as green manure.
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Mexican sunflower — close-up flowerMexican sunflower — yellow-orange flower
Mexican sunflower — flower (Vietnam)
Mexican sunflower — flowering habit
Mexican sunflower — leaves and spent flowers
Mexican sunflower — seedlingMexican sunflower — close-up flowerMexican sunflower — yellow-orange flowerOverview
Tithonia diversifolia, commonly called tree marigold or Mexican sunflower, is a herbaceous to shrubby plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae), growing 2–3 m tall with upright, sometimes woody stems. Its leaves are alternate (hence the epithet diversifolia, “diverse-leaved”), sub-ovate, serrate, acute, 10–40 cm long, simple or mostly 3–7 lobed, somewhat glandular and slightly greyish beneath. The flower heads are large and showy, 5–15 cm wide on long stalks, with yellow to orange ray and disc florets and a faint honey-like scent; flowering occurs mostly from April to June (October–December in Vietnam). The fruit is a four-angled achene about 5 mm long, dispersed by wind, water and animals.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/12/2026
The species is native to Mexico and Central America but now has a nearly pantropical distribution after being introduced as an ornamental, and in many places it has become an invasive weed. In Vietnam the French brought dã quỳ to plantations in Lâm Đồng as green manure for coffee and rubber; it spread rapidly and its mass flowering creates the iconic golden scenery of Đà Lạt and the Central Highlands. The stems and leaves are rich in P, Ca and Mg, making an excellent organic fertiliser, and are sometimes used as mulch. In traditional medicine the leaves are used in Mexico for sprains, bruises and fractures, and in southern China for athlete's foot, night sweats, as a diuretic and for jaundice. Modern research shows that the plant's sesquiterpene lactones (tagitinin A, C, F and others) have antimalarial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities, while also being strongly phytotoxic (allelopathic); repeated decoctions of the leaves may be toxic.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/12/2026
Life cycle
From seed to productSeedling
Seedlings grow quickly from seed, with thin stems and sub-ovate young leaves.
Leaves
Alternate leaves 10–40 cm long, 3–7 lobed, serrate, slightly greyish beneath.
Flowers
Yellow to orange flower heads 5–15 cm wide, faintly honey-scented, flowering mainly April–June.
Mature plant
Shrubby plant 2–3 m tall, flowering in golden masses; four-angled achenes dispersed by wind.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Mexico & Central America (native)20%
- South America & the Caribbean12%
- Southeast Asia (introduced, common)28%
- South & East Asia18%
- Africa & Pacific islands22%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Sesquiterpene lactones (tagitinin A, C, F; tirotundin)Main bioactives — antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic30%
- Flavonoids (hispidulin and flavonols)Antioxidant15%
- Diterpenoids (ent-kaurenoic acid)10%
- Chlorogenic acid derivatives (caffeoylquinic acids)15%
- Essential oil (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, germacrene D)Composition varies with origin15%
- Alkaloids, saponins & tannins15%
Uses
- Ornamental: the yellow-orange flowers bloom in golden masses in the dry season, creating the signature scenery of Đà Lạt and the Central Highlands, often planted as a roadside ornamental.
- Green manure & mulch: the P-, Ca- and Mg-rich stems and leaves are used as organic fertiliser and mulch to retain moisture and improve soil fertility for coffee, rubber and other crops.
- Livestock feed: in some tropical countries it is used as roughage/fodder for livestock and poultry (in moderation).
- Traditional medicine: the leaves are used in Mexico for sprains, bruises and fractures; in southern China for athlete's foot, night sweats, as a diuretic and for jaundice; in Taiwan it is sold as a liver tonic herbal tea.
- Research & caution: the sesquiterpene lactones (tagitinin A/C/F) show potential antimalarial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects; dã quỳ is also an invasive weed needing control and prolonged leaf decoctions can be toxic.
Properties
- Form
- Shrub 2–3 m with alternate lobed leaves and large yellow–orange heads
- Hallmark
- Faint honey-scented flowers bloom in golden masses; strongly allelopathic
- Products
- Ornamental, green manure/mulch, traditional medicine
- Safety
- Sesquiterpene lactones — repeated leaf decoctions may be toxic
Habitat & conservation
Tithonia diversifolia likes full sun and a warm climate, tolerates drought and grows quickly on wasteland, roadsides, abandoned farmland, swidden fields and hillsides, from lowland up to about 2000 m, often forming dense stands. It is native to Mexico and Central America and has been introduced and spread widely across the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Conservation
Tithonia diversifolia has a very wide and still-expanding pantropical distribution; the species has not been assessed by the IUCN and is therefore listed as Not Evaluated (NE). In many places it is an invasive species requiring control. Family Asteraceae, genus Tithonia. Note that its sesquiterpene lactones can be toxic.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray — Kew Science, 2026
- 2GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray — GBIF, 2026
- 3Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) — description, distribution, uses — English Wikipedia, 2026
- 4Dã quỳ — đặc điểm, phân bố, công dụng và phân xanh — Vietnamese Wikipedia, 2026
- 5肿柄菊 Tithonia diversifolia — 形態、分布與用途 — Chinese Wikipedia, 2026
- 6Kuroda M. et al. — Sesquiterpenoids and flavonoids from Tithonia diversifolia and their cytotoxic activity (55(8):1240–1244) — Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2007
- 7Nguồn ảnh: Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 US); CookBooc & George Muttathil Pulikurumba (CC BY-SA 4.0); DXLINH (Public domain) — Wikimedia Commons,