Red Cherry Marigold is a French marigold cultivar that transforms flower beds with fully double, ruffled blooms of deep mahogany-red petals edged in gold, each centered with a bright lemon-yellow eye. These compact plants reach just 12 inches tall and wide, flowering prolifically from early summer until frost across hardiness zones 2 through 11. Blooming within 50 days of planting, they thrive in full sun with moderate water and neutral soil, making them a striking choice for containers, borders, and walkways.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
12in H x 12in W
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Low
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The combination of deep mahogany-red with golden-edged petals and a lemon-yellow center creates a warm, sophisticated color palette unusual among typical orange French marigolds. Their fully double, ruffled flowers persist from early in the season right through frost, delivering months of dramatic color from compact, tidy plants that need minimal space. The dwarf 12-inch habit is unusually restrained for marigolds, allowing them to fit snugly into containers or create neat edging without overwhelming surrounding plantings.
Red Cherry Marigold serves as an ornamental flower for garden beds, borders, and container plantings. The compact, dwarf growth habit makes it especially suited for lining walkways, tucking into mixed containers, and anchoring the front edge of flower borders where its extended flowering season provides reliable color throughout the growing period.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date in soil kept at 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain consistent moisture and provide bright light once seedlings emerge.
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions, then transplant outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Space plants 12 inches apart in both directions.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost date once soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
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