Fetid marigold is a erect multi-branching annual with a large taproot, common to anthropogenically disturbed areas such as roadsides, fields, and meadows, at elevations from 3000–6500 ft (914–1981 m).

Seeds are small, hairy, narrowly conical with a tuft of bristle at the top, dark brown in color when mature.

Distinctive orange odor glands dot the stalk, leaves and stems of the plant, which are the source of its characteristic scent.

[2] Fetid marigold was given to horses for coughs by the Dakota, used as a febrifuge and smoked for epilepsy by the Keres, applied to red ant bites by the Navajo, and was used by the Lakota as a treatment for headaches, internal bleeding and breathing difficulties.

[10] Seeds were ground into flour for bread or roasted without grinding and combined with other foods by the Apache, who also ate the tops of the plant as greens.