Marigold

Marigolds (Arctotis fastuosa) belong to the subfamily Asteraceae, a plant that is tolerant of sandy soils. Their main distribution area is in southern Namibia, from Fish River Canyon and the central Orange River region north to Aus, east of the Namib Desert.

They produce large numbers of large, orange daisy flowers on a long stalk, with a double row of 'petals' and a dark brown marking on the base of each inner row. The grey-green leaves form a bushy clump. Flowering time is from September to October, they are frost hardy and require sunshine and a reasonable amount of water. Flower colours and time can vary from region to region.