Marigold
Tagetes erecta / Tagetes patula
📖 About this plant
One of the most popular annual flowers worldwide, marigolds produce cheerful, long-lasting blooms in brilliant shades of orange, yellow, gold, red, and bicolor combinations. They are valued both as ornamental flowers and as companion plants that repel nematodes and certain insect pests in vegetable gardens. French marigolds are compact and bushy, while African marigolds produce large, showy double blooms on taller plants.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Every 2-3 days
Moderate (40-60%)
18-30°C
Well-draining loam or sandy loam; tolerates poor soil; pH 6.0-7.0. Adaptable to various soil types
Minimal — marigolds thrive in average to poor soil. Excess fertilizer produces lush foliage with fewer flowers. A light application of balanced fertilizer at planting is sufficient
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Mexico, Central America
- 📏 Max height
- 15-90 cm depending on species and variety
- 📐 Spread
- 15-30 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Orange, Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to humans; mildly toxic to dogs and cats if large amounts are ingested (gastrointestinal upset). Marigold extracts are used in pet-safe flea repellents
- 🌱 Propagation
- Direct sow seeds 1 cm deep after last frost; germinates in 5-10 days; thin to 15-30 cm apart depending on variety. Can start indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic to humans; mildly toxic to dogs and cats if large amounts are ingested (gastrointestinal upset). Marigold extracts are used in pet-safe flea repellents
Common issues
- Spider mites in hot dry conditions
- Slugs on young seedlings
- Fusarium wilt and root rot in poorly drained soil
- Leggy growth from too much shade or fertilizer
💡 Care tips
- Excellent companion plant that deters garden pests
- Deadhead regularly to extend the blooming period
- Tolerates poor soil and drought conditions well
- Sow seeds directly outdoors after the last frost
