Asteraceae
African Marigold
Tagetes erecta
Bold blooms that thrive from Alaska to the tropics
Reinhold Möller Ermell via Wikimedia Commons (cc by_sa_4)
About this plant
Tagetes erecta, commonly listed under its scientific name, is a member of the Asteraceae family, the same vast clan that includes daisies and sunflowers. It belongs to the genus Tagetes, a group known for its upright, structured growth habit. As a perennial, it is built to return season after season rather than burning out after a single year, which makes it a rewarding choice for anyone just getting started with outdoor gardening.
What makes this plant genuinely remarkable is its hardiness range: it is rated for USDA Zones 1a through 13b, which is essentially the entire continental United States and beyond, from the coldest corners of Alaska to the warmth of Puerto Rico. Very few outdoor perennials can claim that kind of geographic flexibility. Paired with medium water needs and a beginner difficulty rating, it asks remarkably little of the person growing it, requiring only around ten minutes of attention per week to stay in good shape.
The gallery
Historical plates & modern photos
Bloom
Joydeep via Wikimedia Commons (cc by_sa_3)
Gallery
Ezhuttukari via Wikimedia Commons (cc by_sa_3)
Gallery
Zuhairali via Wikimedia Commons (cc by_sa_4)
How to grow it
Five steps, start to bloom.
Written for beginners. If you've never grown anything before, this is all you need to keep this plant alive and happy.
Pick a spot
Find a spot with enough light for its needs. Plant it outdoors, ideally sheltered from the harshest afternoon wind.
Plant it
Any good all-purpose potting mix or well-drained garden soil will do. Give each plant enough room for its mature spread. Crowding causes more problems than undersizing the bed. Water it in gently once it's settled.
Water it
Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, roughly once a week in summer. Soak the soil, then let it breathe before the next round.
Feed & tend
This one is very forgiving. A balanced all-purpose fertiliser at the start of the growing season is plenty, and you can skip a month without harm. Plan on 10 minutes a week of hands-on care: watering, a quick trim, checking for pests.
Enjoy it
Watch for new growth in spring and summer. If the leaves look tired, trim the oldest ones back to encourage fresh foliage.
Year at a glance
What to do, month by month.
Approximate for a temperate North American zone. Shift earlier the further south you garden, later the further north.
Jan
January: Rest
Dormant
Feb
February: Rest
Dormant
Mar
March: Wake up
New growth
Apr
April: Tend
Routine care
May
May: Tend
Routine care
Jun
June: Tend
Routine care
Jul
July: Tend
Routine care
Aug
August: Tend
Routine care
Sep
September: Tend
Routine care
Oct
October: Tend
Routine care
Nov
November: Wind down
Prep for dormancy
Dec
December: Rest
Dormant
Pet & people safety
We haven't verified this plant yet.
We only publish toxicity information when a human has checked it against a primary source. Until that happens, treat this plant as potentially harmful to pets and children: don't let it be eaten or chewed, and consult the ASPCA or your vet if anyone does. You can also search the ASPCA's public toxic-plant database below.
Bloomwise is not a substitute for veterinary or medical advice. Every line above comes from a hand-verified reference.
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Common Sunflower
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Tall, sun-chasing blooms that thrive from Alaska to the tropics
Garden Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Feathery foliage and wide-open blooms for the most hands-off gardener
Blackeyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Rugged, sun-loving perennial that earns its keep in nearly any yard
Frequently asked
Common questions.
- What USDA zones does African Marigold grow in?
- African Marigold is hardy in USDA zones 1a to 13b. If your winter lows fall outside that range, grow it in a container you can bring indoors, or treat it as an annual.
- How often should I water African Marigold?
- Water about once a week in summer, adjusting for rainfall. Soak the soil, then let it breathe before watering again.
- How much sunlight does African Marigold need?
- African Marigold prefers four to six hours of sun, ideally morning light.
- Is African Marigold safe for pets?
- We haven't verified toxicity information for African Marigold. Treat it as potentially harmful and keep it out of reach of pets and children. If a pet eats any part of it, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Is African Marigold good for beginners?
- Yes, this is a forgiving plant that tolerates inconsistent watering and the occasional missed feeding. A good choice for a first garden.
Sources
Plant facts on this page come from a blend of public-domain and open-licensed datasets: Biodiversity Heritage Library (historical botanical illustrations, public domain), USDA PLANTS (taxonomy, public domain), GBIF (occurrence and taxonomy, CC-BY 4.0), OpenFarm (crop guides, CC-BY-SA 3.0), and Open-Meteo (climate and hardiness lookup, CC-BY 4.0). Toxicity records come from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and the Pet Poison Helpline; every row is hand-verified against a primary reference.