annual flower
Queen Sophia marigold
Deadhead for tidier repeat bloom in hot sunny beds.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 4a-11a
- Sun
- Full
- Soil
- Loam
- Water
- Medium
- Planting depth
- Set the crown at the same level it grew in the nursery pot.
- Container min
- 2+ gal (good)
- Goals
- Pollinators & wildlifeCurb appeal & colorVegetables & herbs
Harvest & Use
- Window
- red-orange flowers through summer
- Output
- 8-18 weeks of bloom/year
- First output
- 55-90 days
- Best for
- Pollinators & wildlifeCurb appeal & colorVegetables & herbs
Timing: red-orange flowers through summer. This profile tracks 8-18 weeks of bloom/year with a harvest or display window of 8-18 weeks where defensible.
Plant photos
What it looks like in the garden
Use these photos to compare the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and overall habit before you buy or plant.
Photos show a representative plant in the garden. Fruit color, size, and growth habit can vary by cultivar, season, nursery stock, and site.
Photo sources: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Full output
- This season
- Mature size
- 1-4 ft H x 1-3 ft W
- Spacing
- 1-2 ft apart
- Planting depth
- Set the crown at the same level it grew in the nursery pot.
- Container min
- 2+ gal (good)
- Productive life
- 1 yrs
- Difficulty
- 1/5
- Reliability
- 4/5
- Data quality
- Medium profile, No pound-yield source
Pound return is the stock-style yield metric. These are planning ranges for comparing plants, not guarantees. Cultivar, rootstock, climate, soil, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife can move actual results.
Planting Checklist
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Right-size container with drainage
Containers / Before plantingUse a container large enough for mature roots, with open drainage holes to prevent root rot.
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Expanding container potting mix
Containers / Before plantingUse a lighter container medium instead of dense garden soil in pots and grow bags.
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Seed-starting trays
Propagation / Pre-seasonStart annual vegetables, herbs, and flowers ahead of transplant season.
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Seedling grow light
Propagation / Pre-seasonKeep indoor seedlings compact and sturdy before they move outside.
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Balanced garden fertilizer
Nutrition / During growthFeed annual vegetables, herbs, flowers, and hungry container crops according to soil or label guidance.
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Soil test kit or lab mailer
Site prep / Before plantingCheck pH and baseline nutrients before adding amendments, especially for fruiting crops, native beds, and acid-loving plants.
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Plant labels
Planning / Planting dayTrack cultivar, planting date, and variety when comparing harvests or pollination partners.
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Hand trowel
Tools / Planting dayPlant starts, herbs, flowers, bulbs, and smaller container plants at the right depth.
Planting Strategy
- Planting depth: Set the crown at the same level it grew in the nursery pot.
- Container minimum: 2+ gal (good). Use 2+ gal per plant, or wider mixed containers with similar water needs.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
- Plant more than one when harvest volume or pollination is the main goal.
- Use the pairing map below to choose nearby companions or compatible varieties.
Risk Factors
- Match the site first: full light, loam soil, and medium water.
- Use 1-2 ft apart as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 1-4 ft H x 1-3 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "red-orange flowers through summer" and 8-18 weeks of bloom/year as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- Local drainage, pests, chill hours, wildlife pressure, and microclimates can change the result.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Companion Plants & Pairings
Plant Nearby
Classic kitchen-garden pairing: marigolds add season-long flowers near tomatoes and help draw beneficial insects into the bed.
Use it: Use marigolds as edge plants or small pockets near the tomato row so they do not crowd airflow around the tomato stems.
Peppers and eggplants share tomato-like growing conditions and pair cleanly with nearby flowering or aromatic companions in mixed beds.
Use it: Keep companions low and off the pepper crown; use them as edge plants or alternating pockets rather than a dense understory.
Warm-season vegetables benefit from nearby flower strips that keep bloom and insect activity close to the crop bed.
Use it: Use a narrow flower strip along the vegetable bed edge so beneficial insects are nearby without reducing crop spacing.
Sources & Methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, source listings, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Quantitative sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxK-State Extension Master Gardener Handbook - Herbaceous PlantsUniversity of Maryland Extension - Types of Containers for Growing VegetablesIllinois Extension - Growing Vegetables in Containers
Source listing: Amazon. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-24.