marigolds

By Lyle Pyeatt, July 1985

In spite of such misleading and commonly used names as African Gold and French marigold, these plants are native to the Americas. The distribution of wild marigold species ranges from Arizona and New Mexico through Central America to Argentina.

The marigold is an immensely popular warm season annual, and rightly so, because it has many positive qualities and few potential problems. No other plant is faster or easier to grow. Flowers are produced over a long period of time and are long lasting when used as a cut flower. There is a whole spectrum of interesting and different cultivars from which to choose.

Marigold types:

African or American (Tagetes erecta): These are tall, erect-growing plants up to three feet in height. Hybridists have also produced some dwarf cultivars (for example: 'Cupid' and 'Guys and Dolls') The flowers are globe-shaped and large, to five inches across. Red flower colors do not appear in this group, but there now are white-flowered cultivars. The Africans take longer to reach flowering stage than the French type.

French (Tagetes patula): Cultivars in this group grow 5 inches to 18 inches high. Flower colors are red, orange and yellow. Many cultivars combine red and orange in different bicolor patterns. Double-flowered cultivars predominate, but there are a number of others with single, daisy-like flowers. Flowers are smaller than those in the African group.

Species: This group probably is not as far removed from their wild ancestors as the much hybridized African and French types. Plants form compact, low mounds less than 12 inches high. Two species offered in the trade are described below.