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Compacta Lemon Marigold

Compacta Lemon Marigold

TAGETES lemmonii

Customers rate us 4.5/5 based on 101 reviews.
  • Full Sun (6+ hrs)
  • High drought resistance
  • Attracts bees and Attracts butterflies
  • Ships as a 4"plant
  • Mature spread is Over 24"
  • Round, Mounding, Bushy, and Compact
$10.99
$10.99
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Compacta Lemon Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii 'Compacta') is a wonderfully aromatic California and Arizona native subshrub that enchants with a vivid display of cheerful, bright golden-yellow daisy-like flowers from fall through spring — blooming most abundantly precisely when the rest of the garden is quieting down for the season. The deeply dissected, ferny foliage releases an intensely lemon-marigold fragrance with every brush of the hand — one of the most distinctive and evocative aromatic experiences in the garden — while the compact, mounding habit of this selected form makes it far more garden-friendly and manageable than the sprawling native species. This is a plant of genuine dual sensory pleasure: vivid color and exceptional fragrance united in one outstanding ornamental.

Grown from Professional Grade root systems, Compacta Lemon Marigold is a cornerstone plant for California native, water-wise, and Mediterranean garden designs throughout the Southwest and Pacific Coast. Its fall-through-spring bloom cycle makes it an irreplaceable source of garden color during the cooler, quieter months, and its powerfully fragrant foliage and nectar-rich flowers support year-round pollinator and hummingbird activity. It thrives on minimal summer water once established, faithfully replicating the dry-summer, wet-winter regime of its native Sonoran Desert and California foothill habitat.

Why You'll Love It

  • Vivid Fall-Through-Spring Golden Blooms: Bright golden-yellow daisy flowers bloom most prolifically from fall through spring — filling the garden with warm, cheerful color precisely during the cooler months when most ornamentals are dormant or resting.
  • Intensely Lemon-Marigold Aromatic Foliage: Deeply dissected ferny leaves release one of the most intensely distinctive and pleasurable fragrances in the ornamental plant world with every touch — a powerful lemon-marigold-citrus scent that perfumes the surrounding garden air.
  • Compact Garden-Friendly Habit: The 'Compacta' selection offers a significantly tidier, more manageable mounding form than the vigorous native species — well-suited for mixed borders, raised beds, and container arrangements without the need for aggressive pruning.
  • Fall & Winter Hummingbird Magnet: Nectar-rich golden flowers provide a critical food source for Anna's hummingbirds and overwintering hummingbird species during the fall and winter months when few other plants are in bloom.
  • Exceptional Drought Tolerance: Thrives on minimal summer irrigation once established in well-drained soil — a model water-wise plant for California native, Mediterranean, and Southwest xeriscape garden designs.

These 4" healthy live plants thrive in full sun in well-draining, low-to-moderate fertility soil. Good drainage is essential — Tagetes lemmonii will not tolerate heavy clay or waterlogged conditions. Water regularly during the first season to establish; once rooted, transition to a dry summer, moderate winter-rain regime consistent with its native habitat. Best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 8–11; native to the Sonoran Desert region and California foothills. Mature height: 2–3 feet; spread: 3–4 feet. Blooms fall through spring with peak display in fall and late winter. Cut back by one-third to one-half after the main spring bloom flush to maintain a compact, tidy habit and encourage vigorous new growth and strong flowering the following fall.

We use expedited shipping policies to protect plant health and minimize plant stress in transit.  All plants are in transit for only 1-3 days. (This does not guarantee 3-day delivery as orders are not always packed and sent out on the day of your order.) We send out deliveries on a weekly schedule to ensure quick transit times, so your order may not be packaged and shipped until later in the week. For instance, we may hold shipments to avoid weekend delays that keep plants in transit for longer.

All packaging includes eco-friendly material and our shipping methods are tested regularly to ensure plants arrive healthy upon arrival.

Additionally, any delays or damages in shipping are covered by our Healthy Plant Guarantee.

If you're plants arrived damaged, we will happily replace them for free!

Please contact us, send a picture, and detail any damage, so that we can continue to improve our shipping process and make sure you receive the healthy plants you paid for.

Mature Height is 4'–6'

Mature Spread is Over 24"

Watering: Let dry

Blooms in:

  • Winter
  • Fall

Special Features:

    Reviews

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