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perennial

Desert marigold

Baileya multiradiata

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Hardy in zones 7–10, Desert marigold is a fast-growing perennial. Expect 1–1.5 ft of height and 1–1.5 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.25 ft apart. It does best in full sun with little water once established. Expect yellow flowers in March to October. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. It is native to the Desert Southwest. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and Texas and the South-Central states, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Baileya multiradiata
Plant type
Perennial, herbaceous
Hardiness zones
7 to 10
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours)
Water
Low
Soil
Sandy or gravelly, fast-draining soil.
Mature size
1–1.5 ft tall × 1–1.5 ft wide
Spacing
1.25 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Fast
Bloom
Mar–Oct · yellow
Roles in a bed
Filler
Styles
natural, low water
Deer resistance
High: deer rarely eat it
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. Known to poison grazing livestock; treated as toxic to pets.
Native to
Desert Southwest
Pot size and price
1-gallon pot, typically $8–$14 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in
Fall
First-year watering
Water weekly until established, then rarely; overwatering shortens its life.
Pruning
Short-lived; leave some seed heads to self-sow.

Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Desert marigold, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Desert marigold: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants