Tagetes erecta
A garden classic with cheery tangerine and lemon-coloured flowers.
Crackerjack Marigolds are easy-to-grow from seed (direct sow in early spring), low maintenance, and bloom all summer long. If you have never grown flowers from seed before this is a great one to start with – it is an unfussy, low stress flower.
Crackerjack Marigolds have large blossoms and sturdy plants 2 to 3 ft tall. They are container friendly, but use at least a 5 gallon pot.
Marigolds are also amazing pollinator plants.
A bit more:
Did you know that the flower petals of Crackerjack Marigolds are edible? And that they are a very good source of the carotenoid lutein. Lutein is particularly important for eye health.
In the Journal of Functional Foods, Khalik and colleagues (2012) explain the role of lutein in the human body and its benefits:
“Concentrated amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the retina of the eye called macula lutea in which they are responsible for central and high acuity vision (Alves-Rodrigues & Shao, 2004; Landrum & Bone, 2001). Moreover, the high concentration of lutein in the macula lutea protects against age–related macular degeneration (AMD) (Lakshminarayana et al., 2008).”
“Also, lutein has benefits exceeding the eye heath by decreasing the risk of atherosclerosis and thus preventing heart attack and stroke (Dwyer et al., 2001; Kritchevsky, Bush, Pahor, & Gross, 2000; Mares-Perlman, Millen, Ficek, & Hankinson, 2002). In addition, lutein inhibits specific isoforms of mammalian DNA polymerases and reduces inflammatory response (Horie et al., 2010).”
“Moreover, lutein is found in the skin (Peng et al., 1995; Wingerath, Sies, & Stahl, 1998), where it enhances skin health due to decreasing UV-induced damage (Granstein, Faulhaber, & Ding, 2001; Stahl, Heinrich, Jungmann, Sies, & Tronnier, 2000). Humans are not able to synthesize lutein de novo, therefore it has to be obtained through dietary lutein intake.”
Lutein in the diet can be acquired from yellow or orange foods and green leafy veg, but another good source of lutein are the petals of Tagetes erecta.
Alotaibi and colleagues write (2021): “Marigold, a flower with medicinal and functional properties besides its ornamental purposes, is a rich source of lutein, and currently its primary source (Becerra et al., 2020).”
See below “How to Process” for some ideas on how to include marigold petals in your diet.
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How to Grow Marigolds? Crackerjack Marigolds are easy to grow. Direct sow seeds outdoors mid-May, spacing seeds a few inches apart. Seeds need light to germinate. Press seeds into soil, barely cover with soil and keep moist until seedlings are up. You can also start seeds indoors about 4-6 weeks before the last frost. Once seedlings are up, keep in a sunny place. After the last chance of frost has passed, transplant outside, leaving about 12 inches between plants.
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How to Process Marigolds? Pull petals from the stem and remove the white (or pale green) ‘necks’ with scissors, as they could give a bitter taste if not removed. The trimmed marigold petals taste milder than the flower smells.
How to Use Marigolds? A little goes a long way. Think of marigolds as a concentrated packet of phytonutrients. You don’t need a lot. Use fresh petals sprinkled in a salad (see below). Use dry petals in tea, rice, soups or stews. Dried marigold petals have a sweet-spicy earthy taste.
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Recipe | Quick Salad of Cucumbers and Marigold Petals
From Tejal Rao who adapted this recipe from the book, The Forgotten Art of Flower Cookery.
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 fresh marigold head, petals pulled and trimmed (see above)
½ green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Slice the cucumber, add the salt, and refrigerate for a half hour. Drain the excess water. Add all the ingredients and serve. Serves 2.
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Location: Sun, Partial sun
Life cycle: Annual
Usable Parts: Flowers, Leaves (dried, fresh)
Uses: Tea, Seasoning
Height: 2 to 3 ft
Container Friendly: Use at least a 5 gallon pot
