Marigolds

M(caps)arigolds "Tagetes erecta", commonly called African marigold, Aztec marigold, American marigold, and french marigolds, is native to Mexico and Central America. 

Marigolds description 

Marigolds, Members of the genus Tagetes have attractive yellow, orange, or red flowers that are solitary or clustered. Blooms naturally occur in golden, orange, and yellow colors, often with maroon highlights. Floral heads are typically from "1  to 4–6 cm" diameter, generally with both ray florets and disc florets. Each flower consists of large number of petals that overlap. Biggest petals are located on a periphery and smallest in a center of a flower. Flowers contain both male and female reproductive organs. 

Most species have pinnate green leaves, leaves opposite each other on the stem that usually are finely cut, and bracts (leaflike structures) that form a cup-shaped base below each flower head. 

The roots of marigold produce secretions that contain flavonoids, amines, amides, phenols and ketones that have insecticidal and nematicidal effects.

Many varieties of marigolds can help repel root-knot nematodes, microscopic worms that live in the soil and can damage vegetable and fruit plants. Marigolds produces flowers all year round under optimal weather conditions.

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Majority of marigold species bloom during the summer and fall. While some marigold species are perennials, most of the common types are annuals that die with the first frost.  

 Marigolds Varieties

The commonly grown marigolds are varieties of African and French marigolds.

French marigolds "Tagetes patula" 

Tagetes patula  is an annual plant. Bushes spreading, height 25-40 cm, with deflected lateral shoots. Inflorescences are terry, 4-7 cm in diameter, intensely orange in color. Come in two basic varieties: “large-flowered” and “dwarf.” Large-flowered are between 12-16” tall with large (up to 2”) flower blossoms.

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Dwarf French marigolds rarely grow higher than 12” and produce small flowers.

Triploid marigolds 

Triploid marigolds are a hybrid of French and African marigolds and are also known as “mule” marigolds because they cannot reproduce. They grow fairly tall and produce large (up to 2”) flowers.

Single marigolds "Tagetes tenuifolia" 

They are quite different in appearance from other marigold varieties because their flowers have very simple, almost daisy-like flowers rather than the thick and bushy blossoms.

Marigolds has edible flowers. Medical studies showed that marigolds contains substances with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. This aromatic plant can be easily grown by seeds.

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