- Hardiness
- Grown as an annual in every zone
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low, drought tolerant once settled
- Size
- 6 to 12 in
- Blooms
- Summer to frost
- Colors
- orange, yellow, red
- Start indoors
- 6 weeks before planting out
Growing tip. Easy from seed and fast. Pinch off spent flowers to keep them coming, and plant at the edge of a vegetable bed.
When to plant french marigold by zone
| Zone | Median last / first frost | When to plant |
|---|---|---|
| 3b | May 16 / Sep 25 | Plant outside: May 23 to Jun 27 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 11 |
| 4a | May 12 / Sep 28 | Plant outside: May 19 to Jun 23 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 7 |
| 4b | May 8 / Oct 1 | Plant outside: May 15 to Jun 19 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 3 |
| 5a | May 3 / Oct 5 | Plant outside: May 10 to Jun 14 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 29 |
| 5b | May 1 / Oct 10 | Plant outside: May 8 to Jun 12 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 27 |
| 6a | Apr 29 / Oct 16 | Plant outside: May 6 to Jun 10 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 25 |
| 6b | Apr 22 / Oct 22 | Plant outside: Apr 29 to Jun 3 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 18 |
| 7a | Apr 16 / Oct 25 | Plant outside: Apr 23 to May 28 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 12 |
| 7b | Apr 5 / Nov 1 | Plant outside: Apr 12 to May 17 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 1 |
| 8a | Mar 29 / Nov 7 | Plant outside: Apr 5 to May 10 Start seeds indoors: around Feb 22 |
| 8b | Mar 16 / Nov 14 | Plant outside: Mar 23 to Apr 27 Start seeds indoors: around Feb 9 |
| 9a | Mar 2 / Nov 26 | Plant outside: Mar 9 to Apr 13 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 26 |
| 9b | Feb 1 / Dec 9 | Plant outside: Feb 8 to Mar 15 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 1 |
Zones 10 and warmer have little or no frost. There, plant cool-season plants in fall and warm-season plants from late winter.
Similar annual flowers
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Frequently asked questions
What zone does french marigold grow in?
French marigold is grown fresh each year, so it fits every zone. What changes is when you plant. Find your zone by ZIP code.
How much sun does french marigold need?
Full sun. Full sun means at least six hours of direct sun a day; part shade means about three to six.
Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.