Meet the French Marigold

French Marigold / Tagetes patula

How do you know it’s me? :

• I am a compact, bushy annual plant that grows in clumps.

• My fragrant flowers are made up of layers of petals. They can be pom-pom shaped, or flatter with frilly-edged petals. There are also "single flower" varieties with one layer of petals.

• My compound leaves are also fragrant and have finely serrated margins.

How big do I grow: 6” - 1’ height and 6” - 2’ spread. 

Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun to part sun.

Where I prefer to put my roots: Rich, well-drained soil. I enjoy moisture but can tolerate some drought once established.

Hardiness: Zone 2-11

Original home: I am native to Mexico.

Colors: My flowers are typically orange or yellow. Red and multicolored varieties also exist.

When I bloom: Summer to fall.

Wildlife friends: Butterflies and bees love my flowers.

Flora Fun Facts: I am a great companion flower to vegetable gardens, as I deter garden pests like some insects and rabbits, and my scent attracts pollinators.

More Info: A garden classic, Marigolds provide many benefits to a garden aside from their showy golden flowers.

• A member of the Asteraceae family

• Some varieties are known for their ability to trap and kill certain harmful soil nematodes (microscopic worms) that attack the roots of garden vegetables. If used for this application, they are best planted the year before installing garden plants, and then chopped up and plowed into the soil once they are killed by frost.

• Marigolds respond well to deadheading spent blooms.

• Flowers can be used to produce a yellow dye.

• The birth month flower of October.

• A great selection for a butterfly, vegetable, or dry garden. They are especially effective as a border planting.