Tashkent #1 is a special French marigold (Tagates patula) which was found outside an old Muslim school in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1992.  It was introduced to the public by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in 1999, and is rapidly gaining popularity.  As described in SESE’s seed catalog, these plants grow to a height of 12 to 16” tall, bearing numerous 1 ½-2” single-petalled flowers with yellow centers and velvet mahogany petals that have a fine orange border.  The petals change from mahogany red to orange red upon maturity.  The plants have deep green, dense foliage that has a sweet marigold fragrance, lacking the common astringent odor of other marigolds.  On a hot summer day the plants sweeten the air with their distinctive fragrance.  These plants are moderately heat tolerant, and are excellent marigolds to use in companion planting configurations.