Do all marigolds smell like 'marigolds'?

20 years ago

I planted all different varieties of marigold seeds to fill a bed....and was so excited to find that I had seedlings everywhere! and they grew, and grew, and the bed is full...but no buds or flowers. Upon a very close inspection (and my mother-in-law said to smell the plants), I think they are weeds! These "weeds" are also growing in other areas where I didn't plant marigolds. I did find much smaller seedlings that DO smell like marigolds....just not nearly as many.

So, before I weed this weekend, do all marigolds smell like "marigolds"? I'd hate to weed them and find that they were just a different variety. They look just like the greens of marigolds that I bought to put in my window boxes...only taller.

Thanks! LC Grace

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Comments (11)

lindac
20 years ago
Yes.....all marigold's foliage smells like "marigold"...
hoe_hoe_hoe
20 years ago
If you think about it most things do smell like themselves unless they are dowsed with a masking odor. LOL.

Congratulations on your crop!
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mmqchdygg
20 years ago
I know exactly which weed you're talking about, and if I am correct in this assumption, the coloring is 'greener' than a marigold, which tends to be a forest-green foliage. I've had to 'watch my step' with these, too, but yeah, a marigold has that very distinct odor.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
20 years ago
No - just the ones that smell like marigolds do.

Al
Lcgrace Mahoney
Original Author
20 years ago
Well...it looks like I'll be weeding this weekend! The Marigolds smell like Marigolds and these weeds smell like weeds.

Thanks for your wisdom! Busy, Busy, Busy!
pam_whitbyon
20 years ago
Wait, Grace!

Could they possibly be English Marigolds? Also known as Pot Marigolds or Calendula? They seed like crazy and grow really fast in almost any condition. They're not related to the other marigolds at all, and don't smell like them either...

Here is a link that might be useful: Pot Marigolds
oldroser
20 years ago
More likely to be wild artemisia - what a pest!
erica_z4
20 years ago
I just bought some marigolds, 'Sunburst yellow red', that hardly smell of marigold at all. The blooms have a faint sweet smell. The foliage smells very faintly but only when I crush it and bring it right under my nose.
rusty_blackhaw
20 years ago
Some varieties of marigolds have been bred to have "scentless" (or relatively so) foliage. Unless you've bought one of these special types, the seedlings should have that distinctive odor when the foliage is crushed, so check it out when thinning the plants.

There is one type of weed that when small has foliage somewhat resembling that of marigolds (and it's a very prolific reseeder). The stems of the weed are thinner and the foliage less congested, however.
Lcgrace Mahoney
Original Author
20 years ago
The seeds that I planted weren't calendula :(....different varieties and heights of marigolds. I think everyone must know about my "weed"! It's growing taller every day and looking less compact and less like a marigold. It's between 6"-8" tall just from the rain over nite.

Once these weeds are gone, the sunshine can get to the real marigolds underneath. It will also look much more organized and less "weedy" when they start to fill in.

Thanks again for your help! LC Grace.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
20 years ago
I wish you could post a picture. We could identify it for you.