Description

The bur marigold is one of several California natives that is widespread in the US. This sunflower thrives in sunny, moist areas in all but the high mountains. In California it is most common south of Sacramento. Bur marigold grows as a patch of bright, lance-shaped leaves on a central stalk. From June until the first frost it will be covered with large bright yellow flowers. These will yield the prickly seeds that gave the bur marigold its common name. As the winter advances bur marigold will go dormant, emerging again with the heat of spring. This is a great plant to try at the edge of a pond, a garden bed with regular water, or a water feature where it can grow in a partially submerged pot.