First Lady Marigold

Tagetes erecta 'First Lady' is a half-hardy annual marigold with large, fully double yellow flowers held above a uniform plant. Its upright flowers add a bright seasonal accent to sunny annual beds and cutting gardens. ## Flowers and growth The blooms are about three inches across and have a carnation-like form. Mature plants are generally listed at 18–20 inches tall; the catalog record's existing width estimate is retained because the cultivar sources do not provide a directly comparable mature spread. The flowers continue through the warm season, with one seed source listing flowering from June into October. ## Siting Choose a full-sun position. Start seed indoors before the last frost or sow outside once frost danger has passed, then plant into a sunny, prepared bed. ## Maintenance This selection is described as easy to grow and low maintenance. Water young plants while they establish, then avoid keeping the soil persistently waterlogged. [University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum plant sale catalog](https://arb.umn.edu/sites/arb.umn.edu/files/2022-05/Plant%20Sale%20Catalog%202022.pdf); [Seeds 'n Such First Lady seed listing](https://www.marylandcottagegardens.com/products/first-lady-hybrid-marigold-seeds); [Nelson Garden First Lady listing](https://www.nelsongarden.dk/produkter/opret-flojlsblomst-first-lady-f1-p95635/).