30 Types Of Marigolds You Should Be Growing

There are so many types of marigolds available to the home gardener, it may be hard to know where to start! People plant marigolds for many reasons. They’re great companions in the annual vegetable garden, as they attract beneficial insects.

Not only are they perfect in the summer garden, but they are used all over the world for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. In Mexico, they are important for Dia de los Muertos floral arrangements. In India, they symbolize surrender to the divine and are employed on auspicious days in the Hindu pantheon.

More than just beautiful flowers, marigolds are used in culinary arts. Indigenous peoples of Central America have valued them for centuries as medicinal plants. They’re a premier plant in the production of natural yellow dye, and marigolds bloom in seasons typically viewed as interstitial points in the world’s seasons.

You may wonder, which variety of marigold is best? What kind of marigolds are good for gardening? Well, worry not because we’ll cover this and the most stunning varieties of marigold out there.

French Marigolds

What is the difference between marigolds and French marigolds? Because French types are marigold flowers, there’s little difference at all. All of the marigolds in the Tagetes patula species are included in this type. They are characterized by a smaller stature and their yellow and orange flowers.

These flowers hail from Mexico and Guatemala, seemingly disregarding their name. However, it’s through the French colonial botanists that these marigolds have so many cultivars. When they’re not used as bedding plants in a flower bed, they are prized for their use in dyes and essential oils.

African Marigolds

Also known as the Aztec marigold and sometimes called American marigolds, African types come from Mexico, in the states of Michoacan, Veracruz, and Puebla. They are deemed “African” because they first arrived in southern Europe from North African sources. All African types come from the species Tagetes erecta.

Characteristics of these types of marigolds include their tendency for inflorescences to sit in a solitary fashion on slender stalks. Their colors range from yellow to red, and Pre-Hispanic peoples are known to have used them in various rituals. Today, they are used ceremonially and in commercial and culinary settings.

Signet Marigolds

The signet marigold is the common name for types of marigolds in the Tagetes tenuifolia species. Its origins also lie in Mexico, across the entire country. Today, you’ll find naturalized signet marigold plants in Colombia, Peru, and parts of Central America. The most striking characteristic of signets is how they produce clusters of small single flowers.

Common uses of signets involve their placement as companions in garden beds and in pest deterrence in general. They are some of the most common medicinally valued marigold flowers and have traditionally treated stomach and gastrointestinal ailments.

Triploid Hybrids

A cross between the French marigold and African marigold, these hybrids are some of the most interesting types of marigolds out there. They have lots of different shapes and colors and tend to have a higher adaptability to different climates than their parent species. 

These types of marigolds work well in gardens that are subject to high summer heat. They also don’t set seed after their flowers fade, hence why they are called mule marigolds. Triploids do better in heavy rain periods than other marigold types as well.

Marigold Varieties

Now that we’ve covered the major types of marigolds, let’s discuss specific marigold varieties. We’ve gathered together a list of 30 varieties for you to choose from.

Crackerjack African Marigolds

The ‘Crackerjack’ seed packets we sell in our shop include a combination of yellow flowers and orange ones with double-petal arrangements. These plants produce large flowers on vegetation that reaches two to three feet tall and one to two feet wide at full maturity. They are suited to all USDA growing zones and bloom in summer, lasting until the first frost.

Kilimanjaro White African Marigolds

With uncommonly cream-colored double flowers, ‘Kilimanjaro’ marigolds are a cultivar that took 21 years to develop! The two-inch blooms are great for planting in flower beds and in cut flower arrangements. Their cultivation resulted in a sweeter aroma than other marigolds and a slightly bitter, peppery flavor. Growers from all over North America have had success growing ‘Kilimanjaro’.   

Phyllis African Marigolds

This Botanical Interests variety was named by one of the company’s founders, Judy Seaborn. As it produces bright yellow flowers that remind her of times spent at the local nursery with her mother Phyllis, Judy named the variety after her. This African marigold has striking thin, clustered petals that give it a chrysanthemum look. The plants reach two feet tall and one foot wide.

Favorite Blend French Marigolds

If you want to try planting marigolds but you don’t know which to choose, there’s a great blend of multiple French marigold plants out there for you. This blend’s single-flower plants have blooms ranging from gold to yellow, red, and bicolor red. Sitting at a smaller stature of 10 to 12 inches, this blend is perfect for those new to marigold gardening.  

Lemon Drop French Marigolds

If you want a solid stand of French marigold in your garden and yellow is your preferred color, ‘Lemon Drop’ will not disappoint. Even smaller than the blend we just discussed at six to 12 inches tall, the double yellow blooms of these compact plants practically dominate their dark green foliage. These marigolds are great for containers and small pots.

Naughty Marietta French Marigolds

These interesting types of marigolds have blooms that resemble tickseed, with dark maroon centers and yellow edges. The flower is said to resemble Jeanette Anna MacDonald, the star of the 1935 musical romance Naughty Marietta. The bushy plants of this cultivar bloom two-inch flowers in summer that last until the first frost. It’s a great variety for those who want a striking French marigold in their garden. 

Red Metamorph French Marigolds

This French marigold variety has stark maroon blooms that sit atop sturdy stems. In warmer weather, the petals take on splashes of yellow, and when the weather cools, the splashes morph and disappear! As a taller variety that stands two to three feet, employ these in vegetable gardens or along cottage garden borders.  

Gem Blend Signet Marigolds

Maybe you’d like to fill your garden with the small single flowers of a signet variety, but you don’t know what to choose. This ‘Gem Blend’ is perfect for you! Its flowers bloom in shades of red, yellow, and orange. One seed produces a bushy plant that is relatively short in stature, at about 12 inches tall. Plants that produce red flowers sometimes take on yellow tips too.

Lemon Gem & Tangerine Gem Signet Marigolds

Similar to the last signet blend we touched on, ‘Lemon Gem’ and ‘Tangerine Gem’ provide two splashes of color in bright yellow and copper-orange. This particular pairing of gem plants loves full sun and dry soil in a rock garden. They are even smaller than the last gem blend, at eight to 12 inches at fullest maturity.

Mexican Tarragon Signet Marigolds

Also known as Mexican mint marigold, this marigold has a striking spicy tarragon flavor that has been compared to anise in its leaves. Instead of hailing from one of the aforementioned species, Tagetes lucida is the botanical name for the Mexican marigold.

I personally love to head to any nearby Mexican tarragon plant and snag a leaf to taste its rich flavor. This marigold deserves a spot in your herb garden and reaches one to two feet tall and roughly 13 inches wide.

Safari Scarlet French Marigolds

‘Safari Scarlet’ blooms are great as cut flowers with golden-edged double blooms with red centers. Topping out at 10 inches tall, this dwarf variety is commonly used in edging, bedding, and even in containers around the garden. While some marigolds appreciate wet weather, these need well-draining soil.

Inca Yellow Signet Marigolds

If you want golden seas of pom-pom blooms, ‘Inca Yellow’ is your marigold! These grow to 16 inches at full maturity and produce delicate fern-like foliage. Even though they are signets, which are typically smaller, the double blooms of this variety grow up to four inches across. Young plants tend to have much brighter yellow blooms that age into a golden orange.

Mary Helen African Marigolds

Another bright gold variety, ‘Mary Helen’ marigolds reach up to three feet tall and one foot wide. With a similar bloom to ‘Inca Yellow’, these pom-pom flowers sit atop thick, leathery foliage. The flat blooms are very large and are perfect in edging, companion planting, and container placements.

Discovery Yellow and Discovery Orange African Marigolds

If you like the idea of ‘Inca Yellow’ or ‘Mary Helen’ but you need a dwarf variety, ‘Discovery Yellow’ is a great choice. At up to 10 inches tall with yellow pom blooms, ‘Discovery’ is a great container plant and even a companion plant that borders your vegetable garden. Even though the plant is smaller, the blooms still reach two inches across.

The orange version of this marigold is just like ‘Discovery Yellow’. Basically, every feature of this plant is the same: small stature (up to 10 inches), two-inch blooms, and pom-pom-shaped double flowers. It has all the same prospects to offer your garden, including a slight variation in color, with orange as the feature.

Sweet Cream African Marigolds

This is one of those marigold types with more subtle hues than most. Called ‘Sweet Cream’ due to the blooms’ light yellow, off-white shade, these plants grow anywhere from 14 to 18 inches tall. The large blooms open three inches wide but have no scent due to the intensive cultivation process needed to engineer them. They are also some of the more difficult marigolds to find.

Mr. Majestic Double French Marigolds

Now that we’ve touched on more subtle colors, let’s get back to pops of intensity that emit from the small blooms of ‘Mr. Majestic’. These plants dot the garden with variations of maroon and yellow flowers that have a pronounced stamen in their center. They are especially suited for blocking out those root-knot nematodes. For the stature of this French marigold, you can expect very large blooms at two inches wide.

Nosento Lime Green African Marigolds

Another light yellow to light green variety of the African marigold, ‘Nosento Lime Green’ is one of those types of marigolds that bring subtle hues to the garden. While the three-inch blooms may not produce much scent, you will still have access to lemon-scented foliage that grows up to three feet tall. ‘Nosento Lime Green’ marigold seeds are easy to find at popular seed distributors, too!

Red Cherry French Marigolds

Let’s discuss one of the most vibrant French marigold varieties out there: ‘Red Cherry’! Not only do you get the benefit of dwarf plants that grow no more than 10 inches tall, but you also get lovely red double blooms with pronounced yellow centers. Spent blooms readily produce seed for the next season, too.

Give these vibrant flowers full sun and somewhat dry soil, and this long-blooming marigold variety will put on a show from summer to the first frost. ‘Red Cherry’ is a low-maintenance flower that’s great for set-it-and-forget-it gardeners.

Strawberry Blonde French Marigolds

If you want shades of pink, ‘Strawberry Blonde’ is an excellent marigold for you. This dwarf marigold reaches eight to 10 inches tall and has lovely blooms that change color with the seasons. Cooler weather encourages rich violet pinks, while warmer weather ushers in yellow hues. Perfect in any area you’d like to cultivate mounding marigolds, this one does best in moist soil and provides the garden with pastel sunset colors.

Inca Primrose African Marigolds

Similar to ‘Inca’ signets, this large-flowered plant grows to a slightly smaller stature at 12 inches. The plant produces fewer blooms than ‘Inca’ signet varieties but they are much larger and open to four inches wide. ‘Inca Primrose’ marigolds are known for their heat tolerance and the sunny effect they bring to containers and garden beds.

Tiger Eyes French Marigolds

If interesting blooms are your go-to, ‘Tiger Eyes’ is perfect. With fully double flowers with a chrysanthemum-like orange top on a more sparsely petaled maroon base, these will surely bring a dash of uniqueness to the cultivation space. This heirloom reaches 12 inches tall and spreads just as wide. The stunning flowers reach about two inches across.

Little Hero French Marigolds

Another super dwarf member of the Tagetes patula species, ‘Little Hero’ doesn’t get taller than eight inches. The light yellow blooms pop in garden spaces amidst sparser-than-normal foliage, offering a sea of gold. This border plant can also adapt well to small containers, making it great for small-space gardeners and container gardeners alike.

Irish Lace American Marigolds

This American marigold doesn’t actually come from one of the four species we discussed in the types section but is actually part of the Tagetes filifolia species. Composed mostly of needled, fern-like foliage, the flowers are incredibly small white specks that stipple their green masses. This marigold has a strong foliage scent and flavor commonly used in teas and food flavorings.

Jedi African Marigolds

Want huge poms of orange majesty? ‘Jedi’ has you covered. These giants grow to about four feet at full maturity, producing blooms that can open to six inches each! Contrary to the semi-unpleasant scent that African types can put off, these have a rich, citrusy smell. More for show and smell rather than use in food, these marigolds are great for back garden borders.

Fireball French Marigolds

If you want a smaller plant and can’t decide between shades of orange, red, and everything in between, you should try to grow ‘Fireball’ marigolds. Despite the small stature of the plant, which grows to 12 inches at most, the flowers are 2½ inches wide. Sow these alongside contrasting colors for a lovely pop of crimson-orange.

Vanilla African Marigolds

While not as stunning as ‘Lemon Gem’, ‘Vanilla’ contributes another subtle hint of yellow to the area it’s planted in. The buttery-yellow, ball-shaped flowers grow on upright foliage that rises to 12 inches. Like other light yellow types, the flower is not as fragrant as the dark green leaves, emitting a sweet and anise-like fragrance.

Southern Cone Marigolds

Southern Cone hails from the species Tagetes minuta. Another one of those marigolds that has dense foliage and sparse white flowers, the plant originated in southern parts of South America but is now naturalized all over the world. Maya Quechua peoples have commonly used it medicinally, sprinkling the herb in teas, cooking, and medicines.

Even though it has tiny flowers, the plant branches up to two meters tall. Cultivate it as a prized herb in your cottage garden, and use its leaves to flavor foods and teas. The flowers are great as filler in cut flower arrangements too.

F1 Zenith Marigolds

This is a triploid hybrid variety for those who can’t decide what color they want. The carnation-shaped flowers come in pops of orange and yellow. With a standard height of 14 inches, you’ll feel like you’re growing a somewhat traditional marigold. If you deadhead them in summer, you’ll get even more golden and bronze pops in fall, just in time for harvest celebrations.

Nema Control Marigolds

Specifically bred for their ability to control root-knot nematodes, ‘Nema Control’ is also lovely above ground too! These small, yellow, pincushion-like flowers are best planted as a cover crop a season or two before planting your solanaceous crops that are prone to nematode infestations. You can also plant them among those crops for next season’s pest control.

Golden Guardian Marigolds

This variety is highly similar in stature and color to ‘Nema Control’. They both grow up to two feet tall with small, two-inch blooms. This particular variety has shown a 99% success rate of controlling nematodes over a three-month span. The tiny blooms on upright stems are sure to bring a sense of joy and calm to your veggie garden!

Frequently Asked Questions