I’m always discouraged to hear when gardeners dismiss marigolds (Tagetes sp.) as ubiquitous or overdone in the landscape. I have always been a fan of these heat tolerant, colorful, long-blooming annuals. I grew up with my mom always growing marigolds and every fall, we would collect seeds and sow them for the following year. Most commonly used in the landscape are the French (Tagetes patula) and African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) although it’s important to note that marigolds are native primarily to Mexico and Central America. There are some other fun species that are commonly used as well although as a bedding plant, marigolds continue to be popular with a wide range of gardeners. With most marigold flowers in the yellow and orange range (although cream and near white exist too!), a deep, consistent red has been elusive until recent years with both African and French marigolds. Signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) have long had reds. Do note ‘Red Gem’ below and ‘Paprika’ above. There are two considerations to keep in mind with the “red” marigold. First, many are in the deep orange/red hues so perhaps not a true red. This might be important when considering their value in a composition. However, those rich shades are dynamite and long-lasting. Secondly, the newest blooms on all of these selections have the most intense and deepest red with older blooms fading to oranges. A great example is ‘Fireball’ seen further below with the newest flowers being almost true red with older flowers a conspicuous deep orange. Regardless, hopefully these images spur you to not only consider including marigolds in your garden but to also appreciate the contribution of these newer red selections.