On this page, you’ll find a list of the best marigolds for a vegetable garden. Marigolds are a great addition to any vegetable garden. They deter pests and keep your vegetables healthy and safe from diseases.
But what marigold should you plant? There are many varieties of marigolds, which will each provide different benefits depending on the specific requirements of your garden.
Keep reading to see all of the different marigold varieties you can plant in and around a vegetable garden.
Best Marigolds for Vegetable Garden
Mexican Marigold Cool Mix
The Mexican Marigold Cool Mix (Buy Seeds Online) is an ideal marigold blend for growing in vegetable gardens because it is highly effective at keeping insects away from crops while providing protection from nematodes that can damage root vegetables. Plus, this flower mix will keep away harmful bugs such as aphids, beetles, spider mites, whiteflies, and ants without any need for toxic chemicals or pesticides.
Queen Sophia Marigold
The Queen Sophia Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) has been around for over 30 years and it’s still one of the most popular marigold plants today. Not only is this flower easy on your eyes, but it also repels pests and attracts beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. And it can be planted in full sun or partial shade with regular watering. This plant will grow up to 10-12 inches tall, and it produces lots of flowers all summer long.
Dainty Marietta Marigold
Dainty Marietta Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) are perfect for smaller gardens because they grow to be only 8 to 10 inches tall at most. These dwarf flowers are also great for containers, so even if your space is limited you can still enjoy these beautiful blooms in your garden this summer.
Court Jester French Marigold
The Court Jester French Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is a great choice for your vegetable garden because they look beautiful while also being highly effective at keeping away pests. And they’re especially good at attracting hoverflies and parasitic wasps, two types of beneficial insects that eat harmful garden pests like aphids, Japanese beetles, and squash vine borers. Plus these colorful flowers are sure to help brighten up any patchy area in your veggie bed.
Patula Durango Flame Marigold
The Patula Durango Flame Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is an early-blooming series of dwarf French Marigolds that will bring all the same benefits as their taller cousins without taking up too much space in your garden. These small-statured flowers grow on sturdy stems reaching only 10 – 12 inches at their final height, making them perfect for containers or smaller gardens with limited space.
Champion Flame Marigold
Champion Flame (Buy Seeds Online) is the most reliable marigold variety we’ve used. Its compact size makes it easy to fit into even small spaces in your garden, while its bright flowers stand out against other plants and vegetables making them highly visible from a distance. And the flowers will keep coming all summer long if you regularly remove spent blooms when they start to go to seed at the end of the season.
Giant Yellow Marigold
The Giant Yellow Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is an excellent choice for growing in your vegetable garden because they have large flower heads that average 3″ across and they produce heavily all season long. They also work well as cut flowers so you can enjoy their bright yellow color indoors too.
Patula Disco Red French Marigold
Patula Disco Red French Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) are an excellent alternative to traditional French Marigolds. These small-leafed marigolds also offer many of the same benefits as traditional varieties including pest protection from their strong scent, and their bright color attracts bees who help pollinate nearby vegetables like tomatoes and squash.
Crackerjack Marigold
The Crackerjack Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is one of the most potent forms of this flower. It has been bred over time to be more effective at keeping away pests like nematodes, root-knot worms, and other insects that damage your plants before you can even see it happening. If you want to protect your plants from these harmful creatures without using harsh chemicals or even organic pesticides then this variety is perfect for you.
Signet Marigold
The Signet Marigold (Buy Seeds Online), which is also known as the Little Gem or Dwarf French Marigold, produces small yellow flowers on compact plants that are perfect for growing in vegetable gardens. This variety has an appealing mild fragrance and offers good resistance to common garden pests like aphids and whiteflies.
Red Gem Marigold
Red Gem Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) make beautiful flowering plants for containers or beds with the added bonus of attracting beneficial insects like ladybugs and hoverflies while deterring pests such as aphids and whitefly. They can even be used as a tasty addition to salads or cooked into rice dishes. You’ll love how easy they are to maintain also – no weeding required. All this plus they’re drought tolerant once established so you won’t have to worry about watering them all the time either.
Tiger Eye Marigold
Tiger Eye Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) are the most vibrant marigold you’ll find anywhere. It’s also one of the easiest annuals to grow, which makes it a great choice for beginners or folks who just don’t have time for fussing around in their garden. And the bright colors will add some pizazz to your vegetable patch while keeping pesky bugs at bay.
Unlike other marigold varieties, this plant features fully double blooms with big bold “eyes” that are red on top and yellow on the bottom. Each flower has single lower petals of smoky red and eye-catching pompom-like upper petals of sunny yellow that resemble tiger eyes when viewed from above.
African Marigold
The African Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) marigold is the best marigold for vegetable gardens and containers because it is easy to grow even for novice gardeners. These seeds have been specifically selected for their ability to thrive in warm climates and produce large flowers that will attract pollinators all summer long.
You don’t need a green thumb or years of gardening experience to enjoy these beautiful blooms. Just follow the simple planting instructions, use organic fertilizer, and harvest your favorite vegetables at the same time as you enjoy this colorful addition to your garden.
Red Zenith Marigold
Red Zenith Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) are the perfect option if you want to grow your own colorful flowers without sacrificing precious space in your garden. This variety of marigolds only grows about 10 inches high and forms into an attractive little bush shape, making it ideal for planting between rows of vegetables or along fences and walkways. Plus, these gorgeous flowers will attract butterflies and pollinators to your garden while deterring pests away from your vegetables.
Petite Dwarf Marigold
Petite Dwarf Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) are an excellent choice for gardeners with limited space. These little beauties only grow about 6 inches tall, but they will still produce big color in their double flowers that range from yellow to red. They also look great planted along borders or even in containers on a patio or deck.
Safari Scarlet Marigold
The Safari Scarlet Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is a beautiful variety with double flowers that will brighten up your garden while attracting unwanted pests like bees and butterflies. They are also perfect for growing next to tomatoes because their strong scent repels tomato worms.
Little Hero Marigold
Little Hero Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) stay compact and produce a ton of blooms that bees love. These hardy little flowers will keep on flowering all season long without falling over. They’re perfect for growing in front of your vegetables because they’ll help protect them from pests while attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. You can even use these marigold seeds as companion planting with peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, squash, beans, carrots & more.
Bonanza Marigold
Bonanza (Buy Seeds Online) is one of the best marigold varieties on the market today with high yields of fragrant flowers and tasty edible leaves that add a kick of flavor to any dish. These compact plants reach only 10 – 12 inches in height making them perfect for smaller gardens or containers.
This variety grows well even under less than ideal conditions such as shade or partial sun exposure which makes them an excellent choice if you’re growing them in and around taller vegetables.
Patula Bonanza French Marigold is one of our favorite varieties because they have a delicious peppery taste when eaten raw, and they also make beautiful cut flowers.
Safari Tangerine Marigold
The Safari Tangerine Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is the best choice for any home gardener looking to add color and beauty to their vegetable garden with a flower that produces bright orange flowers from July through October. This variety thrives in most soil types but performs best when planted in full sun or partial shade. The leaves grow upright on sturdy stems that reach 10 inches tall, making it an ideal addition to any border or raised bed garden.
Zenith Lemon Yellow Marigold
The Zenith Lemon Yellow Marigold (Buy Seeds Online) is de-tailed (meaning it doesn’t have the long stem like other types), grows to about 10 inches tall, has excellent disease resistance, and produces beautiful yellow flowers from late spring through early fall. It’s also hardy enough to grow in most climates and it really pops in a vegetable garden.
