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Strawberry Blonde French marigold is a compact annual that delivers months of fragrant, showy blooms from June through frost, reaching just 9-12 inches tall with a bushy, tidy habit. This floriferous cultivar features distinctive double flowers in warm, peachy-red tones that bring vibrant color to borders, containers, and cutting gardens. Hardy from zones 2-11 and blooming within 50-59 days of sowing, it thrives in full sun with minimal fuss, tolerates deer browsing, and resists powdery mildew and leaf spot. The aromatic pinnate foliage adds another layer of sensory appeal, releasing its spicy scent when brushed.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
12in H x 9in W
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Moderate
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Strawberry Blonde produces an abundance of fragrant, double flowers in warm sunset hues that bloom continuously from June until frost. The compact 9-12 inch frame and tidy bush habit make it equally at home in garden beds, containers, or as a cut flower, while its resistance to powdery mildew and tolerance of deer keep it thriving with virtually no intervention. The aromatic foliage adds an unexpected bonus: pinch or brush the leaves and release a distinctive spicy-herbaceous scent that lingers on your hands.
Strawberry Blonde serves as a reliable annual for color-filled borders, containers, and mixed beds throughout the growing season. Its fragrant, double flowers are excellent for cutting, bringing long-lasting color and scent indoors. The plant's low-growing, bushy habit and continuous bloom make it valuable for edging beds, filling gaps in perennial gardens, and providing late-season color when other annuals fade. Its appeal to butterflies and hummingbirds adds a pollinator-friendly dimension to any planting scheme.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date to achieve earlier blooms. Sow on the soil surface or press lightly into soil, as seeds benefit from light to germinate. Maintain warm, consistent moisture until seedlings emerge.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after your last frost date once soil has warmed and danger of frost has passed. Harden off plants gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before planting. Space transplants 8 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds in the garden at your last frost date, pressing them lightly into prepared soil. Direct-sown plants will bloom slightly later than transplants but often develop more vigorous root systems.
Pinch young plants early in the season to promote bushy, branching growth and a fuller silhouette. Once established, focus on deadheading spent flowers regularly and promptly; this single practice will dramatically extend blooming through fall and prevent the plant from setting seed at the expense of new flowers.
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“French marigold (Tagetes patula) carries a name rooted in ancient mythology: the genus was named for Tages, an Etruscan deity. The species epithet patula, meaning 'spreading,' describes the plant's natural growth pattern. Strawberry Blonde is a modern floriferous selection within the French marigold lineage, bred to emphasize prolific double-flower production in warm bicolor tones. Though the exact breeding details are not documented in available sources, this cultivar represents decades of selection work to enhance the already vigorous annual into an even more abundant bloomer for contemporary gardens.”