Scientific Name:
Tagetes erecta
(incl. hybid cvs.)
Pronunciation:
tuh-JEE-teez ih-RECK-tuh
Common Name:
African marigold
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Annual
Key ID Features:
Glabrous annual plant, 30-50(-120)cm tall, stems angular; leaves pinnately compound, 5-10cm long with 11-17 leaflets, lanceolate, 1-3cm long, margins sharply toothed, sparse dark glands on lower surface; heads 5-10cm wide, rounded, usually double, commonly yellow to orange but red and cream to white bicolour cultivars exist, aromatic when crushed.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central America, Garden origin, Mexico (T. erecta x T. patula)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract butterflies, Bedding plant, Fragrance, Group or mass planting, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Many triploid hybrid cultivars exist involving French marigold to create shorter, bushier plants with more flower head variations.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Distinctive smell
Compound Leaf:
Odd-pinnate
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate
Apices:
Acute, Cuspidate
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum)
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Orange, Yellow
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown, Black
Fruiting Time:
Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant,
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
Blight or needle cast, Mildew (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Rabbit resistant)
