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Common Marigold

Tagetes erecta

Commonly cultivated, rarely persistent or as a waif. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
1–4 feet
Spread
1–2 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Dry to average
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

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  • Crooked-stem Aster
    Symphyotrichum prenanthoides

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Blue, yellow, purple or red.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Heartleaf Aster
    Symphyotrichum cordifolium

    Sun: Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Blue.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Sweet Goldenrod
    Solidago odora

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

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At a glance

Life cycle
Annual or perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
July to November

Recorded in 6 Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

5CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Tagetes

  • Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Hardiness
Zones 2a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Cream, yellow, orange, red, variegated or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources