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African Dryland Alliance for Pesticidal Plant Technologies:

A network for optimising and promoting the use of indigenous botanical knowledge for food security and poverty alleviation in Africa

African Dryland Alliance for Pesticidal Plant Technologies

Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower)

Bright yellow Tithonia diversifolia flowers, also known as Mexican Sunflower, in bloom, with a person's hand gently holding one of the stems, showcasing the vibrant petals and large central disc against a backdrop of green foliage.

Asteracece

General

Fact sheet about Tithonia diversifolia

Annual or perennial herb or shrub to 3 m. Leaves alternate; petiole up to 7 cm; lamina narrowly ovate to obovate, usually deeply 3-5-lobed (rarely entire), scabrid; base cuneate; apex acuminate; margin crenate, crenate-serrate or entire. Peduncles 1 cm in diameter below capitulum. Phyllaries in c.4 series. Rays up to 6 cm, yellow. Pappus of short, 2 mm, scales, connate below, with 2 longer setae. A weed of roadsides and waste places.

Plant parts with insect-controlling properties

Flower buds

Target organisms

Oriental fruit fly

Preparation and application

>A 10% extract is made by boiling the flower buds in water. This killed 85% of the fruit fly within one hour.

A farmer holding a stem of Tithonia diversifolia, featuring bright yellow flowers against lush green leaves.