Crackerjack Marigold

Tagetes erecta

Also known as: African Marigold, Aztec Marigold, Cempasúchil


A tall African marigold with big, fully double pompom flowers up to 10–13cm across, in a mix of orange, gold and lemon yellow. The plants grow sturdy and upright to 75–90cm with finely cut, strongly scented leaves. They flower from early summer until the frosts, and with regular deadheading they keep producing. The long stems make it a good cut flower. In the vegetable garden, a row along the tomato or chilli bed adds colour and draws in pollinators and beneficial insects. Upright annual — a stake helps the tallest plants in windy spots.

Days to harvest Around 70–80 days from sowing to first flowers
Fruit size Double pompom flowers, 10–13cm across
Sowing depth 5–6mm
Germination 7–14 days at soil temperature 21–27°C
Spacing 25–40cm apart
Aspect Full sun; well-drained soil, dry to moderately moist
Frost tolerance Frost-tender. Plant out only once frosts have finished.

Growing notes

A hot, sunny spot suits it best. African marigolds do well in heat and don’t need rich soil. Too much feeding gives soft, leafy plants with fewer flowers.

Soil preparation: Ordinary, well-drained garden soil is fine. Dig in a little compost, but skip high-nitrogen fertiliser.

Sowing method: Sow seed 5–6mm deep in trays or direct once the soil is warm. Seed comes up readily, so thin or prick out seedlings to give each plant room.

Support: Usually none needed. In exposed spots, a short stake keeps the tallest plants upright once they’re carrying heavy blooms.

Containers: A pot of 15–20L suits one plant. Because of the height, pick a heavy pot or a sheltered spot.

Watering & feeding: Water deeply at the base, then let the soil dry a little before watering again. Overhead watering can rot the heavy double heads. A light feed once flowering starts is plenty.

Harvest: Cut blooms for the vase once they’re fully open, and deadhead faded flowers regularly to keep new ones coming. To save seed, leave a few of the best heads on the plant until they’re dry and papery, then rub out the slender black-tipped seeds.

Timing: First flowers around 70–80 days from sowing, then continuous until frost.

Key features

  • Large double pompom blooms, 10–13cm across
  • A mix of orange, gold and lemon yellow
  • Tall, upright plants with long stems for cutting
  • Flowers from early summer to the frosts
  • Brings pollinators and beneficial insects into the vegetable garden
  • Strongly scented, finely cut foliage

Short season tips


Sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, plant out from mid-October once frost has passed, alongside the tomatoes and chillies they’re often grown with. Plants started early flower by early summer and carry on until the first autumn frost.

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

Annual

  • Tomatoes, chillies, capsicum, eggplant, cucurbits, brassicas
  • Nothing specific recorded. Keep it from shading out low-growing crops on its sunny side.

Tagetes erecta is native to Mexico and Central America, where the Aztecs grew it as cempasúchil. It is still the flower of the Día de Muertos altars. It reached Europe in the 1500s and became naturalised across North Africa, which is how it picked up the name “African” marigold. Crackerjack is a long-standing open-pollinated strain, selected for tall plants and large double flowers in the traditional marigold colours. Gardeners still grow it beside their vegetables, as they have for generations.