Desert Marigold Information - Learn How To Grow Desert Marigolds

Yellow Desert Marigold Flowers
(Image credit: Norm Lane)

It's often difficult to choose the right plant for a dry, hot and windy landscape. Even extra effort from the gardener sometimes can't make plants grow in this situation. If your landscape has such conditions, try growing tough and pretty desert marigold plants. Desert marigold information says these showy, solitary flowers thrive in these difficult conditions.

Desert Marigold Information

Botanically called Baileya multiradiata, desert marigold flower is also called paper daisy, as mature blooms have a papery texture. They are also sometimes known as desert Baileya. Desert marigold plants may reach a foot in height with big, yellow flowers that produce lots of seeds. Some of the clumping, daisy-like mounds of flowers are shorter. The plant is an herbaceous, short-lived perennial, returning again next year. Blooms begin in spring and may continue through summer. Caring for desert marigold is simple as this specimen is basically carefree.

How to Grow Desert Marigolds

Get started growing the desert marigold flower by planting seeds in a sunny area. Desert marigold plants are not picky about soil types, but they do need good drainage. Furry, silvery foliage will soon appear, followed by blooms of the desert marigold flower. While it's not necessary to water regularly, an occasional drink makes flowers grow quickly and results in a bigger bloom. Caring for desert marigold is this easy. Use desert marigold plants as part of a wildflower garden in hot, dry areas. Once planted, the desert marigold flower drops seeds for multiple plants to grow from later on. If reseeding is not desirable for your landscape, remove spent blooms before the seeds drop. This deadheading also encourages more flowers to bloom. Now that you've learned how to grow desert marigolds, get some planted in the desert landscape where other plants are hard to grow. Information about desert marigolds say they're native to Mexico and grow well in most western areas of the United States. Plants may be damaged when temperatures reach below freezing, so protection in these situations may be necessary.

Becca Badgett
Writer

Becca Badgett was a regular contributor to Gardening Know How for ten years. Co-author of the book How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden, Becca specializes in succulent and cactus gardening.