What Do Marigold Plants Look Like?

Marigolds are annual plants that generally die back after the first frost. You can plant marigolds in the early spring to fill your garden with colorful yellow and orange flowers.

Flower Shape

Marigolds produce globe-shaped blossoms that consist of lacy foliage. Their size depends on their type. Signet marigolds grow single-stemmed small blossoms, while American marigolds are quite large.

Color

Yellow and orange are the most popular color of marigolds for gardeners to plant. They also come in white, maroon and red blossoms.

Leaves

Their green feather-like leaves grow quite dense in flower beds. If you press the leaves with your fingers, they produce a pungent smell.

Height

African and Aztec marigolds are the tallest of the species. They can reach up to 3 feet in height. Triploids are the smallest and grow up to 2 inches.

Propagation

Marigolds are propagated by broadcasting small seeds over a flower bed. You can buy marigold seeds at most gardening supply stores. They should be planted in May after the last frost.

Blooming Time

Marigolds bloom 45 to 50 days after they have been planted. Gardeners will see their colorful heads pop up sometime in late summer.

Care For A Marigold Plant

Water marigolds the first 10 to 12 days after transplanting bedding plants into the garden. Thereafter, water the plants once every week without rainfall. Water deeply to saturate the roots and then allow the soil to dry before watering again. Marigolds are drought-tolerant plants that may develop rot, mildew or other diseases in soggy soil. Avoid fertilizing the plants. Otherwise, the plants go to seed early and blooming rapidly decreases.