Confused about marigolds?

French marigolds, pot marigolds, african marigolds, tagetes, calendula... Are these all different? And which ones are supposed to be beneficial in the garden (and for what reasons)?


Thanks!

Confused about marigolds?
pot marigolds are not true marigolds, they are calendulas. tagetes is the botanical first part of the name in "true" marigolds and they include the french and african varieties, of which there are many.


go for the ones with a strong "marigold" smell. Ask your local nursery or county extension agent which ones are best for repelling pests.
Reply:Calendula is the same as pot marigold. Very easy to grow annually from seed, gives a nice bright orange or yellow show and the petals are edible, some people use them in salads. When the flowers fade nip them off to prevent seeds forming and this will extend the flowering season.


French marigolds, African marigolds and tagetes are the same genus but African and French are common names for different species. The French marigolds are usually about half the size of African marigolds. Incidentally they don't come from France or Africa! This family, let's call them all tagetes, are again bright summer/autumn flowering annuals and give a pleasant display. The tagetes are thought by many people to be useful because they have a pungent smell which can be used to mask the smell of the tomato plant and carrots to inhibit the attack of certain insects which find the tomato and carrot by smell.





Have a look at the link to read more about tagetes.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagetes
Reply:They are different.





Research at the University of Georgia has shown that certain French marigold cultivars (Tagetes patula): Tangerine', 'Petite Gold', 'Petite Harmony', 'Goldie', and 'Nemagold', are effective in reducing root knot nematode populations in the soil when planted closely spaced in a solid block.





African or American (Tagetes erecta) take longer to reach flowering stage than the French type.





Species: This group probably is not as far removed from their wild ancestors as the much hybridized African and French types. Plants form compact, low mounds less than 12 inches high.


Tagetes tenuifolia 'pumila' (T. signata 'pumila'): The signet marigolds produce compact plants with finely divided, fern like foliage and masses of small, single flowers. 'Lemon Gem', 'Lulu', 'Paprika', 'Silva', and 'Starfire' are signet marigold cultivars.


Tagetes filifolia: 'Irish Lace' is the common name of this species. The leaves are finely and delicately divided. The white flowers are minute in size.





Triploid: These are hybrids between dwarf French and tall African cultivars. Most triploid cultivars grow from 12 to 18 inches high. In addition to combining qualities of the two different parental types, the triploids are sterile and incapable of producing viable seeds. Since none of the triploid plant's energy is directed to seed production, flowers are produced in profusion over a long period. Seeds are expensive and the germination rate is rather low.


http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/mar...





Calendula (Ca-lén-du-la, pot marigold) is a genus of about 12-20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean region to Iran. Calendula should not be confused with the true marigolds (Tagetes species, see marigold).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula
Reply:The odor of marigolds are said to repel some destructive insects that feed on vegetables and flowering plants. So just get ones with a strong smell.

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