Tagetes patula. Brocade Marigold seeds produce brilliant 5cm (2") wide flowers in gold to mahogany atop 30-38cm (12-15") plants. This is a medium height marigold that works well in large containers. Grow in full sun and deadhead regularly to enjoy flowers from May to heavy frost. The plants are drought resistant, so a good candidate for xeriscaping. The flower petals are edible, and can be dried and ground to use as a replacement for saffron. The essential oils of this marigold have apparent anti-fungal properties, and have been used to fight fungal infections on plants. Brocade is a cultivar of T. patula, which is native to the highlands of central Mexico. It's a very easy flower to grow from seed.

Annual

• Half-hardy annual
• 5cm (2") wide flowers
• Flowers May to frost
• Grow in full sun
• Very easy to grow