Pot marigolds, or calendula, are some of the most cheerful flowers you can grow in your garden. These bright blooms aren’t just pretty faces – they offer medicinal properties, attract pollinators, and can even be used in cooking. From vibrant oranges to soft yellows and unique bicolors, these easy-to-grow flowers will brighten your garden from spring until the first frost.
1. Calendula officinalis ‘Indian Prince’
Sporting deep orange petals with mahogany undersides, ‘Indian Prince’ creates a dramatic display in any garden setting. The contrast between the fiery orange tops and the rich dark backs makes this variety truly stand out.
Growing to about 24 inches tall, these sturdy plants produce large, fully double blooms that make excellent cut flowers. Their spicy scent and edible petals can add color and flavor to summer salads.
2. Fiesta Gitana Mix
Bursting with color variety, Fiesta Gitana offers a carnival of yellows, oranges, and golds in your garden. These compact plants grow only 10-12 inches tall, making them perfect for containers and borders.
What makes this mix special is its long blooming period – expect flowers from late spring until the first hard frost. The semi-double to fully double blooms create a lush, full appearance that’s hard to beat for continuous garden color.
3. Sherbet Fizz
Just like its name suggests, Sherbet Fizz delivers a delightful color combination reminiscent of orange creamsicles. The peachy-orange petals feature raspberry-pink undersides that create a two-tone effect when the flowers open and close.
Hardy and heat-tolerant, these medium-height plants reach about 18 inches and produce abundant blooms throughout summer. Their unusual coloring makes them conversation starters in the garden and stunning additions to bouquets.
4. Resina
Prized by herbalists for centuries, Resina produces more resin than other calendula varieties – hence its name. This resin contains the highest concentration of medicinal compounds, making it the top choice for healing salves and balms.
The single, bright orange flowers stand out against deep green foliage. Reaching about 24 inches tall, Resina blooms prolifically all season and self-seeds readily. For medicinal uses, harvest the flower heads on sunny mornings when resin content peaks.
5. Zeolights
Looking like something from another planet, Zeolights calendula features extraordinary coloring that changes as the flower ages. The petals emerge burgundy-red, then develop yellow-orange tips, creating a striking two-tone effect.
Medium-sized plants reaching 18-24 inches produce these unusual blooms atop strong stems. First developed by Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed, Zeolights performs beautifully in containers or mixed borders and draws admiring glances from garden visitors.
6. Pink Surprise
Breaking the orange-yellow color scheme typical of calendulas, Pink Surprise brings soft blush and salmon tones to the garden. The semi-double blooms feature peachy-pink petals with lighter edges, creating a gentle, romantic effect.
These medium-height plants reach about 18 inches and bloom continuously with regular deadheading. Pink Surprise pairs beautifully with lavenders and purples in the garden and adds a unique touch to summer bouquets and dried flower arrangements.
7. Greenheart Orange
Featuring a fascinating green center surrounded by bright orange petals, Greenheart Orange creates a striking visual impact. The unique green heart sets this variety apart from traditional calendulas and makes it a favorite among flower arrangers.
Plants grow to about 24 inches tall and produce an abundance of these unusual blooms. The strong stems make them excellent cut flowers with good vase life. Bees and butterflies find the easily accessible centers irresistible, making this variety a pollinator magnet.
8. Snow Princess
Rare and ethereal, Snow Princess offers creamy white to pale yellow blooms that stand out dramatically against the plant’s deep green foliage. This uncommon color break from traditional oranges makes it a collector’s favorite.
Growing to about 18 inches tall, Snow Princess blooms abundantly from late spring through fall. The light-colored petals take on a subtle glow in evening light, making them perfect for moon gardens or containers near patios where you’ll enjoy them at dusk.
9. Bronzed Beauty
Warm amber-orange petals with bronze-red undersides give Bronzed Beauty its distinctive appearance. When the flowers close in the evening or on cloudy days, they reveal their darker undersides, creating a beautiful color shift in the garden.
These sturdy plants reach about 20 inches tall and produce large, semi-double blooms. Extremely heat-tolerant, Bronzed Beauty keeps flowering even during summer’s hottest days. The rich, warm tones complement autumn garden schemes perfectly.
10. Touch of Red Mix
Adding a dramatic flair to the garden, Touch of Red Mix features orange and yellow blooms with striking red-tipped petals. The red highlights intensify in cooler weather, creating an ever-changing display as the seasons progress.
Plants grow to about 18-24 inches tall and produce an abundance of 2-3 inch flowers. This mix offers excellent genetic diversity, with variations in the red markings making each plant unique. Perfect for adding visual interest to cottage gardens or cut flower arrangements.
11. Pacific Beauty Mix
A classic blend that’s stood the test of time, Pacific Beauty Mix offers large, fully double blooms in shades ranging from lemon yellow to deep orange. The 3-4 inch flowers create a spectacular show of color throughout the growing season.
Reaching 24 inches tall, these robust plants withstand heat better than many other varieties. Their strong stems make them excellent cut flowers, and the range of colors allows for creative combinations in bouquets and garden designs.
12. Kablouna Mix
With their distinctive crested centers surrounded by a ring of flat petals, Kablouna calendulas resemble Tudor roses. This unique form creates textural interest in the garden and attracts attention in flower arrangements.
Available in a mix of golden yellow, orange, and apricot shades, these 18-24 inch plants produce abundant blooms on strong stems. The unusual flower form makes them particularly attractive to pollinators who can easily access the prominent central disks.
13. Radio
Sporting quilled petals that create a spiky, chrysanthemum-like appearance, Radio stands out from typical calendula varieties. The bright orange blooms have a three-dimensional quality that adds texture and visual interest to garden beds.
Growing to about 18-20 inches tall, Radio produces abundant flowers on sturdy stems. Developed in the 1930s and named for the exciting new technology of that era, this heirloom variety continues to charm gardeners with its unique form and reliable performance.
14. Coffee Cream
Reminiscent of a perfect latte, Coffee Cream features creamy yellow petals with darker amber centers. The subtle color gradient creates a sophisticated look that works beautifully in both modern and cottage garden settings.
Plants reach about 18-20 inches tall and produce abundant 2-3 inch blooms. Coffee Cream’s mellow tones complement virtually any color scheme in the garden. The edible petals add a mild, slightly spicy flavor and beautiful garnish to summer desserts.
15. Flashback Mix
Offering a kaleidoscope of colors, Flashback Mix features flowers with contrasting petal undersides that create a striking effect as blooms open and close. Petals range from apricot to orange with mahogany, bronze, or rusty red backs.
Growing to about 18-24 inches tall, these plants produce an abundance of 2-3 inch flowers. The dramatic color play happens throughout the day as flowers respond to changing light conditions. Morning and evening gardens particularly benefit from this dynamic display.
16. Kinglet Mix
Petite but powerful, Kinglet Mix offers smaller-than-average flowers in a delightful array of colors from lemon yellow to deep orange. Many blooms feature darker centers or tips, creating a charming, varied display.
These compact plants reach only 12-15 inches tall, making them perfect for containers, window boxes, or front-of-border plantings. Despite their smaller size, they bloom prolifically and continuously, ensuring non-stop color from spring until frost.
17. Solar Flashback
A true color-shifter, Solar Flashback produces flowers that change dramatically as they mature. Starting as deep mahogany-red, the petals gradually develop golden-yellow edges, creating a stunning bicolor effect.
Growing to about 18-20 inches tall, these plants produce abundant 2-3 inch flowers. The evolving color pattern means your garden display changes daily. Particularly striking in mass plantings where flowers at different stages create a tapestry of color.
18. Star Orange
Featuring a unique star-shaped pattern, Star Orange displays bright orange petals with contrasting yellow centers that form a perfect star. This distinctive form sets it apart from traditional calendula varieties.
Medium-height plants reach about 18 inches and produce these eye-catching blooms throughout the growing season. The clearly defined star pattern makes it a conversation piece in the garden. Excellent for children’s gardens, as the bold pattern and bright colors never fail to delight young gardeners.