Ornamental · Asteraceae
Marigold
Tagetes
Set in full sun and well-drained soil, the marigold opens gold, orange, and red blooms from early summer until frost.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
59–86°F · 15–30°C
45–90 days
Overview
The marigold packs its color into rounded flower heads of gold, orange, and red, some flat and single, some doubled into tight rosettes of petal. A member of the daisy family carried north from Mexico and Central America, it grows almost anywhere as a fast, easygoing annual, and the blooms keep opening from early summer to the first frost.
The heads take different shapes across the genus. French marigolds hold smaller flowers, often streaked bicolor, on low bushy growth; African types carry big, densely packed pompons on knee-high stems; and the dainty Signet marigolds scatter small single flowers over finely cut, lacy leaves that smell of citrus when brushed. The size and set of the head tells you at a glance which one is in front of you.
Up close the plant is soft and quick, its stems tender and its foliage finely divided, and it shrugs off most rough handling. Sun, sharp-draining ground, and the odd snap of a spent head keep the flowers coming for months. Left too wet or packed into damp shade, though, the soft tissue turns instead to mites, rot, and mildew.
Care
The short version: marigolds want full sun and well-drained soil, water only when the top of the soil dries, a light feed at planting, and deadheading of the spent heads to keep fresh blooms opening.
Light
Marigolds want full sun, at least six hours of direct light a day, to pack their heads with petal and open flower after flower. They take a little partial sun, but real shade stretches the stems thin and floppy and leaves far fewer blooms behind.
Water
Let the top half of the soil dry out between waterings, roughly every 5 to 7 days once the plants root in. Marigolds are drought tolerant and hold up better a touch dry than soggy, since standing wet softens the tissue and invites rot and disease.
Soil
Plant them in well-drained loam at a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, close to neutral. They are indifferent to rich soil but will not stand ground that stays wet around their roots, so drainage matters far more than fertility.
Temperature
The plants hold their color and form in the warmth between 59°F and 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Frost blackens the soft stems, so wait for settled weather before setting them out.
Humidity
Marigolds keep best in drier air, around 30% to 50% humidity. Damp, muggy conditions settle gray mold onto the petals, so moving air over the foliage counts for more than any humidity reading.
Feeding
Work a balanced general-purpose fertilizer into the bed at planting and leave the plants to it. They rarely ask for more, and heavy feeding swells the leaves at the cost of the flowers.
Pruning
Snap off the spent flower heads as they brown and the plant pushes fresh buds open for months. Removing the fading heads also strips away the soft, decaying petal tissue that gray mold settles into during humid weather.
Repotting
Marigolds rarely need repotting, since most run their single season right where they root. Watch for roots circling the cell or curling out the drainage holes on a seedling held too long before it reaches the ground.
Size & spacing
Plants stand from 6 to 47 inches (15 to 120 cm) tall depending on the type, from the low French marigolds to the tall, thick-stemmed African ones. Give each a spread of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) so air moves through the foliage and the leaves dry between waterings.
When to plant
Marigolds want warm soil and no frost against their soft stems. Start the seeds indoors in spring or press them straight into the ground once the cold has passed, and the flower heads open from early summer until the first fall frost blackens them and closes the season.
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 shows on the surface first, in a speckled leaf or a fuzzed, softening flower head, usually after weather the plant disliked. Reading those close-up changes early lets you act before the damage spreads across the plant. Match what you see below, then step in while it still helps.
Yellow-speckled leaves under fine silk webbing
When the green fades to a dry, dotted yellow and thin silk strands stretch across the leaf, spider mites are at work, and they swell in number through hot, dry air. Tap a marked leaf over white paper and the near-invisible specks crawl into view. A hard jet of water washes them from the foliage, insecticidal soap treats the most speckled leaves, and steady soil moisture takes away the dryness they thrive on.
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 holes in leaves and petals with glistening trails
Torn, ragged holes bitten clean through the leaves and petals, laced with glistening silver trails at first light, are the mark of slugs and snails feeding through damp darkness. Lift them off by hand in the evening, or lay iron phosphate bait along the paths they crawl. Raking away mulch and spent debris clears the cool, moist crevices they press into during the day.
Fix:
- Handpick slugs and snails in the evening
- Set out traps or iron phosphate slug bait
- Remove debris and mulch that provide hiding places
Soft gray fuzz clouding the fading flower heads
A soft, dusty gray fuzz spreading across tired and bruised flower heads is Botrytis gray mold, which grips in humid, wet weather and softens the petals to rot. Pinch off the fuzzed blooms and discard them, then deadhead the spent heads before the mold roots deeper. Water low at the base to leave the foliage dry, and open space between plants so the air keeps the petals from staying wet.
Fix:
- Remove and discard affected flowers and debris
- Deadhead spent blooms promptly
- Improve air circulation around plants
Soft green and black specks massed on new shoots
The tight clusters of soft green or black bodies packed along the newest shoots are aphids, and the glossy, tacky film coating the stems beneath them is honeydew. A strong stream of water knocks the crowd loose, and insecticidal soap wipes out the rest once they mass. Light nitrogen feeding keeps the shoots firmer, since the soft, sappy new growth is what the aphids sink into.
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 safer flowers to keep around pets, livestock, and children. Garden marigold is essentially non-toxic, and the petals themselves are edible, bright in salads and as a garnish. The one small caveat lies in the sap, which can mildly irritate sensitive skin, so gloves help when you are handling a large batch.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Garden marigold is essentially non-toxic to cats, and a bitten leaf does no real harm. A sensitive cat may feel only a slight sting of mouth or skin irritation from the sap.
Dogs Safe
A dog can chew the foliage without trouble. At most the sap draws a little drooling or a passing skin irritation that clears on its own.
Horses Safe
Marigold is not known to poison horses. Brushing against the leaves may leave a faint skin irritation on a sensitive animal, and no more.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can graze the plant safely, and the petals make a harmless mouthful. Only the sap might sting a little in rare cases.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep take marigold with no ill effect. The mild sap is the single note, and it seldom comes to anything.
Birds Safe
Marigold poses no poisoning risk to birds, and the bright petals often get pecked as a snack. Nothing about the plant calls for caution here.
People Safe
The petals are edible and drop easily into salads and garnishes, so marigold is safe for people. The one caveat is the sap, which can mildly irritate sensitive skin, so gloves help when handling a large batch.
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 range widely in the size and shape of their flower heads and foliage, though most gardens grow one of a few familiar types. These are the ones worth knowing by their look.
French marigold (Tagetes patula)
Compact at 6 to 12 inches tall, these carry smaller single or double blooms, their petals often streaked bicolor across red, orange, and yellow.
African/American marigold (Tagetes erecta)
Rising 3 to 4 feet, these hold large, densely packed pompon double flowers that swell up to 5 inches across.
Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Low and mounded at 6 inches or less, these dot small, single, citrus-scented edible flowers over finely cut, lacy foliage.
Triploid hybrids
Sterile crosses of French and African types, these keep their heads full of flowers all season because they set little seed.
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 easiest flowers to multiply, springing quickly from seed and often sowing themselves for the following year.
SeedEasy
Spring
The thin, dark seeds sown in spring push up quickly and fill out fast with little fuss. Drop them where the flowers are wanted or start them indoors ahead of the season, and an established stand tends to self-sow, scattering seed that sprouts on its own the following year.
Myths
Pot marigold and true marigold are the same plant.
The two grow from separate genera altogether. Pot marigold is Calendula officinalis, which is non-toxic to pets, while the true marigolds are Tagetes species. The shared name masks two distinct plants that do not stand in for each other.
A few marigolds among the vegetables instantly protect them from root-knot nematodes.
The effect surfaces only where marigolds fill the soil as a dense pre-plant cover crop across a full season. A scattered handful among the vegetables will not reliably hold nematodes back.