French Marigold
Lemon Drop French Marigold is a cheerful, compact flower that brings bright golden-yellow blooms to gardens across hardiness zones 2-11. This open-pollinated cultivar grows just 6-12 inches tall, making it perfect for edging beds, containers, or tight spaces where you need big color impact from a small footprint. True to its name, the flowers have a sunny, lemony hue that seems to glow in full sun. Starting seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date ensures robust transplants ready to bloom all season long.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
12in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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At just 6-12 inches tall, Lemon Drop French Marigold delivers concentrated color in a genuinely compact package. The bright lemon-yellow flowers bloom prolifically throughout the season in full sun, and because it's open-pollinated, you can save seeds from your best plants year after year. Starting indoors is recommended, giving you strong seedlings that transplant reliably and establish quickly once hardened off and moved outdoors.
French marigolds are grown primarily as ornamental flowers for garden beds, borders, and container displays. The cheerful lemon-yellow blooms add bright color to landscapes and cut-flower arrangements. These flowers are also traditionally used in gardens for their reputation as companion plants.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date. Sow seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch in seed-starting mix and keep the soil temperature between 70-80°F for optimal germination. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged until seedlings emerge.
Transplant seedlings outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, once soil temperatures reach 70-80°F. Harden off seedlings gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before planting. Space plants 6 inches apart in full sun.
You can sow seeds directly outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, when soil temperature reaches 70-80°F.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season. Pinching back young plants when they reach 3-4 inches tall promotes bushier, more compact growth, which enhances the full, rounded shape characteristic of this cultivar.
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