Safari Scarlet Marigold is a dwarf French marigold that delivers show-stopping color in the smallest footprint. This compact cultivar reaches just 8 to 10 inches tall and produces luminous carnelian-orange blooms with an unusual anemone form, each flower measuring around 2 inches across. From seed to first flowers takes 55 to 65 days, making it possible to have a flowering container garden in midsummer. Hardy from zones 2 to 11, it thrives in full sun and moderate water, bringing radiant color to beds, borders, and containers throughout the growing season.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
10in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The gleaming carnelian-orange color of Safari Scarlet creates an almost unreal glow in the garden, especially in afternoon light. Its anemone-type blooms are generously produced on plants that stay incredibly compact, typically 8 to 10 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide, making it one of the tightest-growing marigolds available. The combination of dwarf stature, radiant color, and abundant flowering makes it exceptionally effective in small containers, window boxes, and tight border spaces where larger marigolds would overwhelm.
Safari Scarlet is grown primarily as an ornamental flower for containers, raised beds, borders, and window boxes. Its compact, floriferous habit and brilliant color make it especially valued in small-space gardens, cottage gardens, and summer annual displays where vibrant, sustained bloom is desired.
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Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in moist seed-starting mix and maintain a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds typically sprout in 5 to 10 days.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 8 inches apart in full sun.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last spring frost when soil temperature reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and keep soil consistently moist until germination occurs in 5 to 10 days.
Minimal pruning is needed for Safari Scarlet due to its naturally compact, bushy growth habit. Pinching the growing tips when plants are 4 to 6 inches tall encourages fuller, more branched growth and additional flowering.
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