French Marigold ‘Red Cherry’ has medium size flowers with petals that are deep red above and yellow below. Plants grow to just 10 inches tall and are long-blooming. Recommended for containers, beds & borders, and the pollinator garden. Also useful for control of insect pests in the vegetable garden.

Germination Rate: 

Texas Minimum Germination Rate: None

Red Cherry is a French marigold (Tagetes patula), a compact, bushy annual in a group of marigolds whose roots trace back to Central and South America. Its fully double, ruffled blooms reach about 2 inches across, with deep red petals edged in gold around a bright yellow eye. Flowering starts early and continues until frost, and the tidy dwarf habit makes the plants easy to tuck into containers, along walkways, and at the front of borders.

Why Choose French Red Cherry Marigold?

• Rich bicolor blooms: Fully double flowers about 2 inches across carry deep red petals edged in gold around a bright yellow eye.
• Compact habit: Plants reach roughly 10 inches tall, suiting containers, borders, and the front of beds.
• Long flowering season: This early-flowering variety keeps blooming until frost under suitable conditions.
• Pollinator appeal: The bright blooms draw pollinators to the garden.
• Easy to grow: French marigolds are low-maintenance annuals that bloom readily with basic care.
• Heirloom and open-pollinated: Grow a traditional French marigold variety while allowing for natural variation.

Planting Tips for Success

• Choose full sun: Select a bright location receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight daily; light afternoon shade is tolerated.
• Plan around frost: Start seeds indoors four to six weeks before the last frost, or direct sow outdoors after frost once the soil has warmed.
• Prepare the soil: Use moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Containers need drainage holes and a suitable potting mix.
• Sow carefully: Sow seeds about 1/8 inch deep, following packet directions, and water gently so seeds remain in place.
• Keep germination moisture even: Maintain a gently moist seedbed without saturating it.
• Space for airflow: Allow approximately 6 to 12 inches between plants, adjusting to packet guidance and local growing conditions.
• Water consistently: Check soil moisture and adjust watering to rainfall and heat. Avoid standing water around roots.
• Monitor containers: Pots can dry more quickly than garden beds, particularly during warm, windy weather.
• Fertilize thoughtfully: Follow soil-test recommendations or fertilizer-label directions. Excess nitrogen can favor leaves over flowers.
• Maintain the display: Remove spent blooms to encourage continued flowering, or leave selected mature heads for seed collection.

Why Choose David's Garden Seeds®?

• Veteran-Owned: Supplying premium seeds since 2009.
• GO TEXAN Certified: Supporting local agriculture and communities.
• Integrity Pledge: David's Garden Seeds has taken the Seed Integrity Pledge.
• Great Customer Service: David answers all customer service questions, usually within a few minutes.

Ways to Use French Red Cherry Marigold

• Sunny borders: Line beds and walkways with compact plants for warm seasonal color.
• Container displays: Grow in well-drained pots with room for the mature plants.
• Mixed flower beds: Combine with sun-loving flowers that share its drainage and moisture needs.
• Vegetable-garden companion: French marigolds have a long tradition in vegetable gardens. Their roots release a compound (alpha-terthienyl) that is toxic to root-knot nematodes and prevents their eggs from hatching, and French marigolds grown alongside tomatoes through the growing season have been shown to slow whitefly population growth in trials. Results vary with planting style and conditions, so enjoy them as garden color without relying on them as a guaranteed pest-control treatment.

Order French Red Cherry Marigold Seeds Today

Bring deep red blooms edged in gold to your garden with 500 French Red Cherry marigold seeds.

Important Disclosures

• Variety Disclaimer: Height, color, flowering time, and performance vary with climate, soil, weather, and care. Germination test results do not guarantee identical garden results.
• Seed Storage: Store unused seed in a cool, dry, dark location, protected from moisture and temperature extremes.
• Planting Zones: Grow as a warm-season annual and plan sowing around local frost dates and the available growing season.
• Ornamental Use: These seeds and flowers are sold for planting and ornamental garden use, not consumption.

Grow something beautiful. Grow something delicious. Grow with David's Garden Seeds®.