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French marigold
Habit (mature) · Dolon Prova / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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French marigold
Tagetes patula
A compact, fast warm-season annual from Mexico and Guatemala (despite the "French" name) grown as bedding, edging, and container color. It typically reaches 6-12 inches tall with single to fully double, 1-2 inch fragrant flowerheads in yellow, orange, red, and bicolor over aromatic, deeply pinnate toothed foliage. Blooms June to frost in full sun, is low-maintenance, and is one of the few annuals deer tend to leave alone.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (69/100)
Border
Container
Filler
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
6-12" tall · 8" apart
Lifecycle
True annual (one season)
Summer heat range
Mild-Extreme
mild to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes flowering may decrease considerably in the heat of summer and resume as cooler weather arrives, and that the plant appreciates some light afternoon shade in hot-summer climates such as St. Louis.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). French marigold (Tagetes patula). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/french-marigold
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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