How and Where to Grow Corn Marigold

Corn Marigold is a beautiful garden plant. It can have dozens of large, golden flower heads above the foliage.

Mixed with other cornfield annuals such as cornflower, field poppy and corncockle, it can make a spectacular show. We provide this ready-mixed in balanced proportions in our Cornfield Annual Mixes.

Whilst it prefers light, gravelly and slightly acid soils, it will grow well on more fertile conditions. You can sow it in the autumn or spring but corn marigold does tend to prefer spring sowing.

Corn marigold is an attractive plant for bees, butterflies and moths.

The wild plant is of average height. The flowers are golden-yellow discs which are borne singly on the ends of the stems. The leaves are toothed, hairless and covered with a waxy layer that gives them a greenish blue-grey colour.

As an annual, it will flower in the first summer. To get it to come back in following years you may need to cultivate the ground lightly with a rake or hoe to encourage fallen seeds to germinate in the spring.

How and where to grow Corn Marigold