PlantFiles: French Marigold
Tagetes patula

I do not usually put a neutral on any plant; but this is one that warrents this action. These plant are WONDERFUL in pretty much any site, as long as they have FULL sun and some moisture. But, in a hot, dry, windy site as on the back of a north-facing garage, they grow to 2-3" high and wide. Then they put out 10-15 flowers and just DRY UP. And their gone in 2 months! But, otherwise, they are very good at: bedding, edging, and as a close subsitite for saffron! (although, Calendula petels are more colorful when dry, they are not as flavorful as Marigolds!)

I love these bright beauties in both my kitchen garden and landscaping. They seem to thrive wherever I plant them as long as they get enough water! We have temps upward of 100 F for 1-1/2 to 2 months each year, as well as high winds, and these bushy little things are very resiliant! In the garden they grow up to about 18" tall, and are covered with hundreds (it seems) of blooms on a single compact bush.
I had so many both of both African and French Marigolds in my Kitchen garden that went to seed before I could collect them all, I can't wait to see them popping up all over the garden. They keep alot of bugs away, most critters (mice, pack and kangaroo rats, and cottontails) don't like them either, which make them excellent outside the confines of the garden fencing and as "perimeter protection" for individual beds in the garden!

I like the way marigolds light up the garden. They always seem to make it through the toughest summer conditions here in zone 5.

What a disappointment. Two years in a row I tried to grow these things on my south-facing patio. Both times they wilted within days and were dead in two weeks. They are too delicate for a hot, windy site.

These can be purchased in individual colors and make fun patterns of color in a flower garden. I have found that direct sown seeds make plants that get bushier and look healthier than plants bought from garden centers or sown in pots and transplanted. They also can be propigated easily from cuttings.

Besides being pretty and fragrant, marigolds are wonderfully useful plants. They repel nematodes and bean beetles, giving them double duty in the vegetable garden.

Named varieties probably will not come true from seed; tetraploid marigolds do not set viable seed, so care must be taken to ensure the parent plant is actually making seeds, not just spent flowers.

Double or single flowers range in color from yellow to rich maroon. This garden staple is easily grown in ordinary well-drained soil. Keep flowers picked to encourage new flowers and bushy shape.