Description

Marigold ‘Court Jester’ is an heirloom, annual, French marigold to 40-50cm tall. The striped yellow and maroon flowers are edible. The flowers are held on long stems which makes them a good cut flower. Remove spent flower heads to prolong flowering. The leaves are edible, having a strong, tangy flavour which can be used in salads or to make teas. Older leaves are bitter.
Young marigold plants can be cut down and dug into the ground to kill harmful nematodes.
This variety can cross-pollinate with other varieties of Tagetes patula; It is unlikely to cross-pollinate with other species (eg Tagetes erecta)