Orange Crush Marigold
Tagetes erecta
(tah-geh' tease) (ee-rec' tah)

This plant is sometimes referred to as African Marigold. This grew from some seed scattered in the annual border and it really has taken off and has been blooming for a couple of weeks now. The large 3-4 inch flower heads are borne on semi-compact plants. I know a lot of people don’t like the scent of Marigolds but I don’t mind it. If you don’t like the smell, but like the flower, try growing the white marigolds. Their scent is much less pungent and some don’t smell at all.

While the claim that planting Marigolds to deter pests from other plants is questionable, due to some scientific evidence, people continue to do it. They add a lot of color to the border. There are 50 species of Marigold and they are native to Central and Northern South America. One species is native to Africa.