Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Desert Marigold
Desert Marigold is a low mound of woolly, silver-gray leaves topped with bright yellow daisies held up on slender stems. In the low desert it can bloom most of the year, heaviest in spring. It is a short-lived native that reseeds, so new plants keep coming. It needs very little water once rooted.
Best for: long-lasting yellow color in desert beds, tight planting spaces, wildflower and native gardens, and bees.
Bright yellow daisies rise above the silver foliage from spring through fall, and at low elevations it can bloom nearly all year.
The leafy mound stays low, about a foot tall, so it tucks into small spaces and along edges. Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart.
Each plant lives a few years, but it reseeds in open, gravelly spots, so the planting keeps itself going.
Too much water makes it grow rank with weak, floppy flower stalks, and soggy soil rots it. Good drainage is a must.
- Tight planting2 ft apart, center to center
- Looser planting3 ft apart, center to center
Water a new plant every 2 to 4 days for the first few weeks, then stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted it needs very little water. Too much water rots it and makes weak, floppy flower stalks.
Pull off spent flowers to keep new ones coming. Leave a few to set seed for replacement plants.
Plants usually live 2 or 3 years, but seedlings come up in open, gravelly spots to take their place.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How long does desert marigold bloom?
It blooms from spring through fall, and nearly all year in the low desert. Pull off spent flowers to keep new ones coming.
How long does desert marigold live?
Individual plants usually live 2 or 3 years. It reseeds readily, so let a few flowers go to seed for replacements.
How often should I water desert marigold?
It needs very little once rooted. Water a new plant often at first, then taper off, because it rots with too much water.
Why are the flower stalks floppy?
The usual cause is too much water. Extra irrigation makes rank growth and weak, limp flower stalks, so cut back on watering.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains well. Skip organic mulch and use gravel or decomposed granite instead.
Does desert marigold attract bees?
Yes, bees and butterflies visit the flowers, and birds and small animals use it too. Plant a few where you can watch them from a patio.
How big does it get?
The leafy mound is about a foot tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, with flower stems rising above it. It fits the front of a bed or a narrow strip.
Is it cold hardy?
Yes, it is rated to about 10°F or colder, so it needs no frost cover in the Valley.
Is desert marigold native to Arizona?
Yes, it grows wild across the Southwest, including Arizona, into northern Mexico. It mixes well with other native wildflowers.
Does desert marigold stay green in winter?
Yes. The silvery gray leaves stay on through winter, and in the low desert it can bloom nearly all year.
Desert Marigold for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Desert Marigold is a native wildflower with silver-gray leaves and bright yellow daisies over a long season. Below are the questions people ask most, from bloom and water to reseeding, lifespan, soil and cold.
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Desert marigold in Phoenix
Desert marigold is a native wildflower with bright yellow daisies over silver-gray leaves, and it blooms most of the year in the low desert.
How to water desert marigold
It needs very little water once rooted. Too much water rots it and flops the flower stalks.
Does desert marigold reseed?
Yes. It reseeds in open, gravelly spots, which replaces the short-lived older plants.
How far apart to plant desert marigold
Space plants about 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Deadheading desert marigold
Pull off spent flowers to keep blooms coming, and leave a few to seed.
Best soil for desert marigold
Plant it in soil that drains well, and use gravel instead of organic mulch.
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