Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  French Marigold, Dwarf Crested French Marigold

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

A wonderful multicolored, mounded variety ideal for borders, containers and landscapes; deep red blooms that transition to coppery-orange and finally mature to deep gold stand out against green fern-like foliage; deadhead to encourage consistent blooming

Ornamental Features

Fireball Marigold features bold crimson pincushion flowers with orange overtones at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant ferny leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Fireball Marigold is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Fireball Marigold is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Fireball Marigold will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Fireball Marigold is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.