The giant today.
Had been protecting it from the cold and finally moved it indoors on November 11.
Buds on it only finally began opening after that date.
As per Cinda, assuming it started as a misplaced seed (a Tagetes erecta marigold), but the three foot giant does seems to only noticeably differ from the other seven marigolds in it's size. To me, it looks like a scaled up version of them.
Have tried to collect seeds from the small marigolds which spent all summer outside.
None of the flowers on the giant have died.
Guess there's no chance of insect (bee) pollination indoors.
(Never saw bees on the small ones outside).
At this stage, I've failed to get seeds from the small plants. Am thinking they're sterile.
Speculation: perhaps they're the sterile male FI hybrids I've read about.
Apparently sterile male hybrids produce long-flowering, self-cleaning (etc.) marigold plants;
sterile male FI hybrids are now being propagated by tissue culture.
Was also reading marigold branches can be rooted in water or planted directly into potting or garden soil.
Have started to at least make an attempt to root a cutting indoors, though am not able to do so in a recommended way
(e.g. there's no flowerless branches).
Meanwhile the giant gives quite a splash of colour.
And the small ones are still blooming away.
