Marigolds: From African Giants to French Dwarfs and Signet Gems

All garden marigolds descend from three American ancestors: African, French, and signet marigolds. Spanish explorers took Tagetes erecta to Africa in the 16th century; it naturalized so quickly botanists thought it native. The British named it "African marigold"—a misnomer growers still contest. These 1–3 ft plants handle heat and produce huge flowers.

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African Marigolds: 'French Vanilla' and 'Snowball' (creamy white, 2 ft); Inca mix and 'Perfection' (gold/orange/yellow); 'First Lady' (yellow, 20 in); 'Deep Orange Lady' (orange, 20 in); Sugar and Spice mix (3½-inch flowers, 20 in).
French Marigolds (T. patula): Shorter, refined, usually under 1 ft. Disco mix (single 2¼-inch flowers, 10 in); 'Gypsy Sunshine' (frilly butter yellow); 'Honeycomb' (frilly red-edged-gold); 'Jaguar' (gold with maroon spots, 10 in); 'Mr. Majestic' (yellow with mahogany stripes, 1–2 ft); 'Striped Marvel' (red-and-gold pinwheel stripes, 2 ft).
Signet Marigolds (T. tenuifolia): Many small flowers on 8–16 in plants with fine foliage. 'Lemon Gem' and 'Golden Gem' (dainty singles, 8 in); Starfire mix (miniature red-to-gold, 12–14 in).