Ornamental · Asteraceae
Marigold
Tagetes
Set it in full sun and well-drained soil, and the marigold carries warm color from early summer until frost.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
59–86°F · 15–30°C
45–90 days
Overview
Few flowers set a summer scene as effortlessly as the marigold. A member of the daisy family that traveled north from Mexico and Central America, it settles into almost any garden as a fast, easygoing annual and brings a run of warm color to borders, containers, and doorstep pots. Its single and double blooms in gold, orange, and red carry the look from early summer to the first frost.
The genus offers a form for every corner of a space. French marigolds stay low and tidy for edging a path, African types rise to knee height for the back of a bed, and the Signet marigolds mound softly under lacy, citrus-scented foliage where a container or a kitchen border wants a light touch. Choosing the type is really choosing the role the flower will play.
Marigolds ask little of a busy household and repay it generously. A sunny spot, ground that drains, and the odd pass with the deadheading scissors keep them full and fresh for months. The pitfalls are the familiar ones, since overwatering or crowding into damp shade trades those blooms for mites, rot, and mildew that dull the effect.
Care
The short version: set marigolds in full sun and well-drained soil, water only when the top of the soil dries, feed lightly at planting, and deadhead spent flowers to keep the display coming.
Light
Marigolds want a spot in full sun, at least six hours of direct light a day, to bloom at their fullest and hold their shape. They tolerate a little partial sun, but a shaded corner leaves them leggy and floppy with far fewer flowers to show.
Water
Let the top half of the soil dry out between waterings, roughly every 5 to 7 days once the plants have settled. Marigolds are drought tolerant and look their best kept a touch dry rather than soggy, since overwatering invites the rot and disease that spoil a planting.
Soil
Give them well-drained loam at a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, close to neutral. They are unfussy about fertility, but they will not stand for ground that stays wet, so good drainage matters far more than rich soil to a clean, lasting display.
Temperature
They favor the warmth between 59°F and 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Frost ends the season, so wait for settled weather before setting plants out into the garden.
Humidity
Marigolds prefer drier air, around 30% to 50% humidity. Damp, muggy conditions invite gray mold, so open air moving around the planting counts for more than any reading on a gauge.
Feeding
Work a balanced general-purpose fertilizer into the bed at planting and let that carry the season. Marigolds rarely ask for more, and too much feed builds leaves at the expense of flowers, softening the effect you want.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flowers as they fade and the planting keeps offering fresh color for months. Removing the old blooms also clears the soft, decaying tissue that gray mold favors in humid weather, keeping the display tidy.
Repotting
Marigolds rarely call for repotting, since most live out their single season right where they are planted. Watch only for roots circling the cell or slipping out the drainage holes on a seedling held too long before it reaches the garden.
Size & spacing
Plants stand from 6 to 47 inches (15 to 120 cm) tall depending on the type, from the low French marigolds along an edge to the towering African ones at the back. Allow each a spread of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) so air moves freely and the foliage dries between waterings.
When to plant
Marigolds ask for warm soil and a garden past the last frost. Start seeds indoors in spring or sow them straight into the ground once the chill has lifted, and the planting flowers from early summer until the first fall frost draws the season to its close.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost
- Plant: After the last spring frost when the soil has warmed
- Harvest: Early summer until the first fall frost
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 2–11
Temperature: down to -46°C
Troubleshooting
Most marigold trouble announces itself first on the leaves or the fading flowers, usually after a stretch of weather the plant would rather have skipped. Catch those early cues and a small blemish need not spread across the display. Match what you see below, then act while the planting still holds its shape.
Yellow-speckled leaves veiled in fine webbing
When the foliage turns dull and speckled beneath a faint veil of webbing, the culprit is spider mites, which arrive with hot, dry weather. Tap a suspect leaf over white paper and the moving specks confirm it. Rinse the planting with a firm spray of water, treat the worst leaves with insecticidal soap, and keep the soil from drying out so the display stays fresh where it sits.
Fix:
- Spray plants with a strong jet of water to dislodge mites
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to affected foliage
- Remove heavily infested leaves
Ragged leaves and blooms trailed with silver
Ragged bites through leaves and flowers, set off by silvery trails at first light, are the work of slugs and snails feeding through damp nights. Gather them by hand in the evening, or lay a little iron phosphate bait where they travel. Sweeping away mulch and spent debris clears the cool, moist corners they retreat to by day, and the planting keeps its polished look.
Fix:
- Handpick slugs and snails in the evening
- Set out traps or iron phosphate slug bait
- Remove debris and mulch that provide hiding places
Gray mold clouding the fading blooms
A soft gray bloom of fuzz settling over tired or bruised flowers is Botrytis gray mold, which takes hold in humid, wet spells. Lift away the spoiled flowers and dispose of them, then keep pace with deadheading so old blooms never linger long enough to rot. Water at the base to spare the foliage, and space the plants so air drifts through and the arrangement stays crisp.
Fix:
- Remove and discard affected flowers and debris
- Deadhead spent blooms promptly
- Improve air circulation around plants
Sticky new growth clustered with soft-bodied insects
The small green or black clusters gathering on the newest shoots are aphids, and the sticky sheen they leave is honeydew. A brisk stream of water clears most of them, and insecticidal soap settles the rest should the numbers rise. Ease off the nitrogen feed as well, since the soft, leafy flush it encourages is exactly the tender growth they seek.
Fix:
- Spray aphids off with a strong stream of water
- Apply insecticidal soap if populations are high
- Encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs
Toxicity
Marigold is one of the more relaxed flowers to live alongside pets, livestock, and children. Garden marigold is essentially non-toxic, and the petals are edible, lending easy color to salads and garnishes on the table. The one small caveat is the sap, which can mildly irritate sensitive skin, so gloves are worth reaching for when you gather a large armful.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Garden marigold sits easily in a home with cats, essentially non-toxic, so a stray nibble causes no real harm. A sensitive cat may notice only a passing mouth or skin irritation from the sap.
Dogs Safe
A household dog can chew marigold with nothing to worry about. At most the sap brings a little drooling or a mild skin irritation that fades on its own.
Horses Safe
Marigold keeps good company with horses and is not known to poison them. A sensitive animal brushing the foliage may pick up no more than a faint skin irritation.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits may graze marigold without danger, and the flowers make a harmless treat. Only the sap, on rare occasion, leaves any minor irritation.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep take marigold in stride with no ill effect. The mild sap is the single passing thought, and it seldom comes to anything.
Birds Safe
Marigold holds no poisoning risk for birds, and the bright petals often make a welcome snack. Nothing here asks for caution.
People Safe
The petals are edible and lend color to salads and garnishes, so marigold is safe for the household table. The one caveat is the sap, which can mildly irritate sensitive skin, so gloves earn their place during a large gathering of blooms.
Wear gloves when handling, as the sap may irritate skin.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Marigolds arrive in a wide range of sizes and forms, though most gardens settle on a few well-loved types, each suited to a different spot. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
French marigold (Tagetes patula)
Compact at 6 to 12 inches tall, this type offers smaller single or double blooms often bicolored across red, orange, and yellow, a natural fit for edging and low borders.
African/American marigold (Tagetes erecta)
Rising 3 to 4 feet with large pompon double flowers up to 5 inches across, this is the type for the back of a bed or a bold seasonal statement.
Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Mounded at 6 inches or less, this type carries small edible citrus-scented single flowers above lacy foliage, suited to containers and the kitchen border.
Triploid hybrids
Sterile crosses of French and African types, these bloom heavily all season because they set little seed, keeping a planting full and even for months.
Companions
Marigolds earn their keep beside vegetables, but only when grown as a full-season cover crop in the soil you plan to plant later.
Plant near
Vegetable crops: French and African marigolds grown as a season-long pre-plant cover crop produce alpha-terthienyl that suppresses root-knot nematode populations, benefiting susceptible vegetables grown in the same soil afterward.
How to propagate
Marigolds are among the simplest flowers to multiply, rising quickly from seed and often sowing themselves to return the following year.
SeedEasy
Spring
Seed sown in spring is the simplest route to a full planting, springing up and filling out fast with little attention. Sow where the display is wanted or start indoors ahead of the season, and an established patch tends to self-sow, returning on its own the following year to carry the look forward.
Myths
Pot marigold and true marigold are the same plant.
The two come from entirely different genera. Pot marigold is Calendula officinalis, which is non-toxic to pets, while the true marigolds are Tagetes species. The names overlap, yet the plants are not interchangeable when you choose one for a bed or a table.
A few marigolds among the vegetables instantly protect them from root-knot nematodes.
The benefit surfaces only when marigolds fill the ground as a dense pre-plant cover crop for a full season in the same soil. A few dotted among the vegetables for looks will not reliably hold nematodes back.