What yellow flower is used during the Day of the Dead?

The cempasúchil (Tagetes erecta), a marigold native to Mexico, is the emblematic flower of the Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1 and 2. Its name comes from the Nahuatl cempohualxochitl, meaning “twenty flowers”.

Tradition holds that its intense color and scent guide the souls of the dead back to the offerings (ofrendas) set up in their honor, so its petals are scattered on altars and pathways.