The fields of cempasúchil flowers become a visual and sensory spectacle every November in the run-up to the traditional Day of the Dead in Mexico, when producers in the municipality of Atlixco, in the state of Puebla (center), begin to cut the flowers to take them to all corners of the country and with them -and their peculiar smell- call the souls back to their homes.
The marigold is one of the most important icons of the Day of the Dead, combining indigenous roots, Catholic faith and popular creativity.
Cempasúchil, the flower that guides those who are no longer with us
In long days and with a curved knife, the workers cut and choose the best flowers, those that are not mistreated, since their purpose will be to decorate the offerings or altars where the food and favorite objects of the deceased people whose memory will be honored this weekend, as is the tradition in the North American country.
Once the flowers are harvested, they are taken to the market, where buyers from different states of the Republic arrive to negotiate them and immediately load them on trucks that will transport them throughout the country during the festivities of November 1 and 2.
This was explained by Lorenzo Díaz Ortega, a local producer, who told EFE that this year more than 300 hectares of cempasúchil were planted in the region, which guarantees supply.
“With the whole region between cempasúchil there are more than 300 hectares, velvet (another type of seasonal flower), are around 200 or 250 hectares, then it is enough flower that is going to be sold here in Atlixco as every year,” explained the florist.
🗻 #Atlixco blooms with the golden glow of the cempasúchil. 😍🧡
At the foothills of #Popocatépetl, this Pueblo Mágico produces more than 2 million flowers each season, becoming one of Mexico’s main suppliers during this season. ✨
Your fields, cared for… pic.twitter.com/G6tDWvkYhb
– SECTUR Mexico (@SECTUR_mx) November 4, 2025
Díaz Ortega also mentioned that demand is increasing every year, as more buyers are taking the flower to the northern and southern states of the country.
“They come from Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tlaxcala, a very strong buyer is Hidalgo, which is the one that takes the most flowers, and they have come from Sonora, Zacatecas, Colima, Durango and Quintana Roo,” Diaz explained.
According to data from state authorities, Puebla is positioned this year as the leader in the production of marigold and velvet, accounting for 72% of national production.
This endemic flower of the country has a special shape and has about 56 species throughout the country.
However, it does not lose its essence of exhibiting more than twenty petals of yellow, gold or orange colors, with a penetrating scent that can only be enjoyed in the months of October and November and with a singular life span of maximum four months.
With information from EFE
