217 · Marigold Orange Flame

About this plant

A dwarf French marigold with real character: bronzy red-orange outer petals wrapped around a bright orange crested plume, so each bloom looks like a small flame. At 10 to 12 inches it stays neat and tidy — perfect for bed edges, mass plantings and pots — and it flowers hard from spring into summer. A classic vegetable-garden companion, though the pest-control benefit needs dense planting, not a single plant. Note: Frost tender — plant out February onward once frost danger passes and soil is warm (min 60F). NOT IN Bloom at the sale; expect first flowers roughly 8–9 weeks after planting out, around late March–April. Do not over-fertilize.

Planting it at home

When to plant out

Wait until after our last frost (about mid-February) and warm soil — usually March. Until then keep the pot in a sunny, sheltered spot and bring it in on cold nights.

Where

Full sun bed edges, mass plantings, borders, and vegetable-garden edging; excellent in containers. Afternoon shade in midsummer.

Spacing

8–10 in (Baker Creek)

Size

10–12 in tall (Baker Creek) — a dwarf French marigold

Support

Bush / compact — little or no support

Care

Sun

Full sun; afternoon shade beneficial in low-desert summer

Water

Drought tolerant once established; well-drained soil, avoid soggy conditions. Do not feed heavily

Feed

A light flower fertilizer every 3–4 weeks while blooming (general guide).

Pick / harvest

n/a for cutting — at 10–12 in the stems are too short for the vase. This is a bedding and container plant, not a cut flower.

Deadhead

Cut off spent flowers to keep new blooms coming.

Good to know

Caution

Petals only are edible. Do not eat leaves or stems.

Grown from

Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers

Life cycle

Annual

Heirloom or hybrid

Heirloom — saved seeds grow true

Pollinators

Attracts beneficial insects rather than being a headline nectar plant: hoverflies, parasitic wasps and ladybugs (Growing In The Garden). The dense crested center is less accessible to bees than an open single flower.

Days to bloom

55–65 days to maturity (Baker Creek)

Heat (our summer)

Good but not unlimited — tolerates heat well; afternoon shade helps it survive peak low-desert summer. Drought tolerant once established

Cold

No — not frost hardy; needs warm soil to establish

Color

Bronzy red to orange single outer petals surrounding a bright orange crested plume of short petals in the center — a two-tone crested (anemone-form) flower with a flame-like look

Edible

Petals only, bitter; use sparingly as a garnish.