Gertie's Marigold

Tagetes patula

Seeds per pack ~ 60   (Packed for 2026) 

Similar to the French Marigold and the Queen Sophia Marigold, this open pollinated variety was grown out by UCFA grower Tomia MacQueen at Wildflower Farm in New Jersey. Marigolds Tagetes patula, are a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Mexico and Guatemala with several naturalized populations in many other countries. It is widely cultivated as an easily grown bedding plant, with thousands of different cultivars in brilliant shades of yellow and orange. 

It is valued for its velvet-textured, brightly colored blooms in shades of yellow, orange and brown in summer. This annual, occasionally reaching 1.6 ft tall by 1.0 ft wide flowers from July to October in some climates.

Marigolds are used in companion planting for many vegetable crops. Its root secretions are believed to kill nematodes in the soil, and it is said to repel harmful insects, such as white flies on tomatoes.

DAYS TO MATURITY: 60-70 days

PLANT DESCRIPTION: (Tagetes patula) It is valued for its velvet-textured, brightly colored blooms in shades of yellow, orange, and brown in summer. This annual, occasionally reaching 1.6 ft tall by 1.0 ft wide flowers from July to October in some climates. Marigolds are used in companion planting for many vegetable crops. Its root secretions are believed to kill nematodes in the soil, and it is said to repel harmful insects, such as white flies on tomatoes.

HISTORY: Tagetes patula, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Mexico and Guatemala with several naturalized populations in many other countries. It is widely cultivated as an easily grown bedding plant, with thousands of different cultivars in brilliant shades of yellow and orange.

GROWING TIPS: Annual. Germination: 70°F, 4-8 days. Full sun. Direct sow or transplant after last frost. Sow seeds 1” deep and 1” apart. As seedlings grow, thin 8-16” apart.