Abstract The hydrodistilled oils of the capitula, leaves and shoots ofTagetes patula L. were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main constituents of the oil of the capitula were identified as (Z)-β-ocimene (19.9%), (Z)-tagetenone (12.4%), (E)-tagetenone (10.4%), piperitenone (5.8%) and β-caryophyllene (15.1%). The oil of the leaves contained limonene (6.5%), terpinolene (16.2%), (Z)-tagetone (13.0%), (Z)-tagetenone (5.5%), (E)-tagetenone (8.2%), piperitone (10.2%) and piperitenone (12.5%) as the main constituents. The oil of the shoots was found to have limonene (6.8%), (Z)-β-ocimene (13.7%), terpinolene (12.0%), piperitone (5.8%) and β-caryophyllene (10.5%) as the major constituents.