Pacific Beauty Calendula is an historic heirloom flower that has graced gardens for centuries under the common name 'pot marigold.' This self-seeding annual produces gorgeous semi-double blooms up to 4 inches across in a luminous mix of orange, apricot, yellow, peach, and cream. From seed to flower takes just 45 to 55 days, and the plants thrive in hardiness zones 6 through 11, making them accessible to gardeners across most of North America. The flowers are remarkably frost-tolerant, extending your bloom season well into cooler months.
Full Sun
Moderate
6-11
?in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
These calendulas deliver abundant, large semi-double flowers in a stunning palette of warm tones that seem to glow in afternoon light. They'll self-seed generously once established, returning year after year with minimal intervention. The speed from seed to first bloom (45 to 55 days) means you can sow directly into the garden and enjoy flowers in less than two months, making them perfect for gardeners who want instant gratification without fussing over seedlings.
Pacific Beauty Calendula flowers are grown primarily for their ornamental value, adding cheerful color to garden beds, borders, and cutting gardens. The blooms are large enough and prolific enough to fill vases with fresh cut flowers throughout the growing season.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost at temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds typically sprout in 7 to 14 days. Keep seedlings in a bright location and maintain steady moisture without waterlogging. Transplant outdoors after hardening off for 7 to 10 days once nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Move hardened-off seedlings into the garden once nighttime temperatures consistently exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 10 inches apart in full sun. Frost-tolerance means you can plant earlier than tender annuals, even as spring frost risk remains. Water gently at the base after transplanting and keep soil consistently moist for the first two weeks as roots establish.
Sow seeds directly into garden soil in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer for fall blooms. Place seeds 1/4 inch deep and keep soil evenly moist until germination occurs in 7 to 14 days at soil temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Thin seedlings to 10 inches apart once they develop their first true leaves.
Cut flowers for arrangements in the morning after dew dries but before intense afternoon heat. Select blooms that are fully open with firm stems. For maximum vase life, cut stems at a 45-degree angle and immediately place them in cool water. Leave some flowers on the plant to mature and self-seed for next season's garden.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season. Simply pinch or snip off flowers as they fade. If plants become leggy or overgrown, you can cut them back by one-third in mid-season to promote bushier, more compact growth.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Calendula officinalis has been cultivated as a kitchen garden staple for centuries, earning the affectionate name 'pot marigold' in English gardens where it was as common as thyme or sage. This heirloom variety represents a living thread connecting modern gardeners to generations of seed savers who recognized the flower's beauty and reliability. The Pacific Beauty Mix preserves that heritage while selecting for the enlarged, semi-double blooms that make these calendulas more ornamental than the simple single-petaled forms grown in medieval herb gardens.”