Marigold

There are 50 species of marigold, nearly all of them from Mexico. Their bright colours of oranges and yellows were immediately loved by Europeans, who called them “Mary’s gold”, a reference to the Virgin Mary. Marigolds hybridize extremely freely, they are quick and easy from seed, and they flower for months and months even under adverse conditions. It is not surprising that they are now one of the top five most popular bedding plants in the world.

Some gardeners dismiss the marigold; it is so ubiquitous and so heavily planted by car dealerships, restaurants, and around parking lots that some gardeners find it boring or out of style. While it is certainly true that marigolds can be uninteresting when they are overused, it should be noted that not all marigolds are created equal. Just because you dislike a certain kind, does not mean that you will dislike all of them. If you search, most gardeners can find a marigold that will please them, and it is worth searching.

Nearly all the marigolds that are currently on the market are hybrids of Tagetes erecta, Tagetes patula, and Tagetes tenuifolia. Blooms may be single or double, and invariably they are some shade of orange or yellow, but there are also some good dark red marigolds. They can be used in beds or containers, are easily raised from seed, and want only a sunny spot and well drained soil. Depending on the shape and size of the plant, large marigolds are often called “African marigolds” and smaller ones are often called “French marigolds.”

They have become exceedingly important in Nepalese culture and they are also often used to adorn Hindu and Buddhist temples. In addition, marigolds are said to repel pests, the single flowered forms are highly attractive to butterflies, and they are phenomenal plants to experiment with if you are interested in making your own dyes. Marigold petals are occassionally ingredients in chicken feed; they make egg yolks more intensely orange!

Cultivars

There are literally hundreds of kinds of marigolds, but here are some that you are likely to find out there:

‘Antigua’- Very large blooms of orange or yellow on compact, chubby plants of about 14”. Profuse bloomer.

‘Atlantis’- Very similar to ‘Antigua’ but a bit taller. 

‘Bonanza’- Very large blooms on short, compact plants. Very early to bloom. Superior to both the ‘Boy O Boy’ and the ‘Janie’ series. ‘Bonanza Bolero’ is an outstanding red-gold bicolour that has won the AAS award.

‘Bonita’- About 12” tall with blooms in a very wide variety of colours. May be singles or doubles. Reliable.

‘Boy O Boy’-If you planted marigold seeds in elementary school, this is likely the one you planted. A mix of warm colours on short, compact, hardy little plants. Blooms are extremely double.

‘Crackerjack’- Very large, double, 3” blooms of yellow or orange on plants that can be more than 24” tall. Often used to create annual “hedges”. If not deadheaded regularly, this variety will stop blooming. The ‘Jubilee’ series is similar but a much more profuse bloomer and vastly superior. 

‘Crush’-  About 8” tall with 3” blossoms. The blooms are disproportionately large to the size of the plant.

‘Disco’- Without question the very best series of single flowered marigolds. Blooms may be dark red, orange, yellow, or gold. Tall.

‘Durango’- Very compact plants with large blooms in a mix of semi-doubles and doubles. An enormous and very satisfying colour range on long blooming, durable plants. Very good series.

‘Gem’- Our very favourite marigolds. These are compact, ball shaped plants with dainty, star shaped flowers in orange or yellow. Unlike most marigolds, these have a very pleasant scent (not unlike citrus) and they flower so profusely that leaves are hardly visible. ‘Signet’ is a very similar series.

‘Hero’- A vastly improved form of ‘Boy O Boy’.

‘Honeycomb’- A dwarf variety with fully double, bicolour flowers of gold and mahogany-red.

‘Janie’- This is a dwarf series with plants 6-8” tall and wide. Blooms are large and very early; garden centers love this series because they are so happy to be in bloom in the little bedding packs. ‘Janie Primrose’ is a favourite, with very soft, lemon yellow flowers.

‘Jesters’- Up to 14” tall, this is an unusual single flowered marigold of yellow petals with dark mahogany stripes. Very interesting. Also sold as ‘Striped Marvel’, this strain has its origins in Scotland.

‘La Bamba’- A tall, single flowered marigold of golden petals with orange stripes. Very striking and interesting in the border.

‘Queen’- Double flowers that are distinctly wide and flat (almost camellia-like) in a wide range of colours on plants that grow about 12” tall. ‘Queen Sophia’ was a 1979 AAS award winner and is particularly lovely, being a bright orange-red bicolour. Profuse blooming.

‘Safari’- Similar to the ‘Queen’ series but taller and more bicolours than solid colours.