Marigolds are premiere garden annuals and perform well in the hot Virginia Garden summers.

Tagetes erecta or African marigolds, Tagetes patula or French marigolds, and Tagetes lucida or sweet scented marigolds belong to the family Asteraceae.

The African or Aztec marigold, native to Mexico, produces large, spherical, yellow, orange or white flower heads in single or double flower varieties and can reach three feet. The French marigold also native to Mexico is smaller with small yellow and red flower heads and may reach sixteen inches in height. The sweet scented marigold is a perennial and produces yellow-orange flower heads. The marsh marigold belongs to the buttercup family.

Marigolds have a strong scent that may be offensive.