One of the primary reasons why companion planting is so beneficial is due to the many benefits of biodiversity. Biodiversity is most easily defined as the variety of life in one area. In addition to general biodiversity, marigold companion planting also helps to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, decrease the growth of weeds, deter harmful insects and lastly, provide visual appeal to your eyes.
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31 Best Marigold Companion Plants
Below you will find 31 plants that can benefit from planting alongside marigolds; inclusive of vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Vegetables
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Summer squash
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Pumpkin
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Cauliflower
Herbs
- Basil
- Dill
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Rosemary
- Salvia
- Sage
Flowers
- Bachelor’s Button
- Alyssum
- Cosmos
- Hollyhock
- Snapdragon
- Zinnia
- Nasturtium
- Geranium
- Petunia
- Calendula
- Vinca
More on the benefits of marigold companion planting:
What are common types of marigolds?
The two most common types of marigolds are French and African. French marigolds are a bit smaller and more compact, compared to their counter part. African marigold are larger with blooms up to 4 inches. Marigolds come in an array of color combinations but are most known for the bright pops of yellow, orange and red that they can bring into your garden.
Will marigolds spread?
Marigolds are typically annuals and are not known for widely spreading. Given the right conditions, they can reseed themselves and appear again the following year.
Are there other plants that benefit from marigold companion planting?
Yes! Absolutely, while this list gives you PLENTY to start with, marigolds can benefit so many other plants as well. Think of plants with similar growing requirement: full sun, heat tolerant and soil that dries slightly between watering.
What not to plant with marigolds?
You’ll probably find some conflicting information when it comes to marigold companion planting. I have yet to have any issues with planting marigolds next to just about anything. However, some sources indicate that beans and cabbage may not be the best companion of marigolds.
How to use marigolds?
Other than interplanting with all the plants listed above, marigolds have a few other uses as well. Marigolds add such a beautiful pop of color to the garden (hence why pollinators love them!), so why not bring that inside? Marigolds make a pretty great cut flower. They last in a vase for about 1-2 weeks. Now their smell is not always the most favorable so removing most of the foliage will help cut down on that. Additionally, I’ve read a few places that marigolds can be used in the kitchen (usually after drying and sometimes even candied). We prefer instead to feed them to our livestock; chickens will love the variety marigolds can add to their diet. (Please note, marigolds should be used as a treat for your chickens, not their primary food source.)
What are the best marigold varieties?
In my opinion, there are so many beautiful varieties of marigolds. Below I’ve listed a few of my favorite.
Kilimanjaro White African Marigold – 21 years of development to create this large vanilla white blossom on a medium-height plant about 18 inches tall
Strawberry Blonde Marigold – a French marigold with blooms that mix pink and yellow tones, stays fairly short at about 8-10 inches
Elevate Orange Hybrid Marigold – a beautiful, full, round, bright orange bloom that grows pretty tall up to about 38-40 inches
Snowball Hybrid Marigold – a very pale yellow, almost white marigold with blooms reaching about 3 inches in size, grows about 24 inches tall
Queen Sophia (R) Marigold – a double blossom marigold with beautiful red/orange petals outlined in a golden yellow, stays short at about 10 inches
Colossus Red Gold Bicolor Marigold – a French marigold with large red/gold blooms, grows about 20 inches tall
