Find the best tall marigold varieties that add bright color, height, and beauty to your garden while blooming strong through the season.
Tall marigolds bring height, color, and charm to any garden. They stand out with their bold blooms and lush green foliage. These best tall marigold varieties will keep your garden glowing with color from summer to frost.
Best Tall Marigold Varieties
1. Ildkongen
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Ildkongen’
Ildkongen isn’t your usual marigold. While most marigolds stay short, this one grows into tall, bushy plants up to 4 feet high and keeps blooming until frost. Its flowers change colors through the season—from fiery red to dark orange or yellow-orange. You’ll notice early blooms are deeper red, while later ones turn lighter. The name fits perfectly—Ildkongen means “Fire King” in Danish.
2. Kilimanjaro White
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Kilimanjaro White’
If you want a tall, bushy green plant covered with lots of ruffled white flowers that pollinators love, Kilimanjaro White marigolds are perfect for you! Their 2-inch creamy blooms have open centers, so bees can easily reach the pollen. Bumblebees, especially, seem to enjoy these flowers a lot.
3. Mexican Tarragon
Botanical Name: Tagetes lucida
This is one of the most unique types of marigolds. It looks very different from the usual yellow, red, and orange low-growing ones you often see in stores during spring
It is often used in cooking to add a subtle anise flavor and has been used in traditional medicine to deal with digestive issues.
4. Moonlight
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Moonlight’
For those who won’t mind a toned-down flower head, the moonlight variety could be your choice with its pale white-yellow blooms. They attain a height of about 70-85 cm and bloom from around mid-summer to the first frost. With their fairly tall stalks, these flowers look great as cut flowers, too.
5. Golden Crown
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Golden Crown’
The golden crown reaches a towering height of about 90-120 cm and features large double blooms with rich golden-yellow flowerheads and a crest-like shape. Its heady smell is not too overwhelming for humans but repels nematodes pretty well. However, be aware that its sap can cause dermatitis for those with sensitive skin.
6. Golden Majesty
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Golden Majesty’
With a classic marigold smell, this one is a high achiever, too, with an average height of about 80-100 cm. Like any typical marigold variety, its flowering season spans from summer to frost. This variety is quite potent in attracting beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies; hence, it can be a great companion plant for vegetable gardens.
7. Bolero
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Bolero’
Bolero stands tall at 60-75 cm, showcasing a unique blend of deep orange and maroon petals. This marigold variety blooms from early summer to frost, offering a long blooming season.
8. Colossus Red Gold
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Colossus Red Gold’
With a height of 70-85 cm, Colossus Red Gold features large, bold blooms with a striking combination of red and gold. This variety is perfect for creating dramatic backdrops in garden beds and borders.
9. Crackerjack
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Crackerjack’
Crackerjack reaches a height of 70-85 cm and is known for its large, fluffy blooms in shades of yellow and orange. It flowers abundantly from summer to frost, preferring sunny spots and moist, well-drained soil.
10. Golden Guardian
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Golden Guardian’
This is another tall marigold featuring large, bright golden-yellow flowers. It blooms from early summer to fall, thriving in sunny spots like borders, garden beds, and bright patios.
11. Inca Orange
Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta ‘Inca Orange’
The big, round flowers stand out anywhere in the garden. You can grow Inca marigolds to add height to flower beds or containers.
The large 4-inch blooms grow on strong stems, and the plants reach about knee height when fully grown.
12. Inca Gold
Botanical Name: Tagetes ‘Inca Gold’
Another from the Inca series, this variety reaches a little lower than a typical marigold. It is a prolific bloomer, usually at its peak between mid-summer and autumn.
13. Majestic Red
Botanical Name: Tagetes ‘Majestic Red’
Majestic Red reaches a height of 70-85 cm, featuring petals striped in maroon and yellow that make an eye-catching presence amidst other flowers. Also, it enjoys a lengthy flowering period from early summer to frost, where it can be complemented with veggies and herbs too.
