A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced .beta.-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced .alpha.-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are also disclosed whose flower petals contain zeaxanthin esters and are substantially free of esters of both neoxanthin and violaxanthin, and wherein zeaxanthin constitutes at least about one-half of the extractable carotenoids when xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.