Thompson & Morgan and Plants Of Distinction introduce 'Alumia Vanilla Cream', the first French marigold in this soft pale yellow colour
We all know French marigolds, they’re amongst the most colourful and reliable annuals we have. But have you ever seen one this colour before? I didn’t think so.
The prettily formed, semi-double flowers of French marigold ‘Alumia Vanilla Cream’ are a lovely pale yellow colour, almost primrose yellow really; a colour that for the first time takes us away from the brash and gaudy shades. For some gardeners, those brash colours are the one thing that deters them from planting these super-dependable little plants. Not any more.
And unlike the creamy white African marigold, ‘French Vanilla’, ‘Alumia Vanilla Cream’ is just as easy to grow and as prolific as the more traditional colours.
At 25-30cm/10-12in in height, ‘Alumia Vanilla Cream’ is also a little taller than many French marigolds - which can be so short and dumpy that they lose all attempts at elegance. It’s ideal in sunny borders and in containers and will bloom all summer.
This variety, and the other five colours in the Alumia Series, was developed by ace marigold breeder David Lemon who’s been breeding marigolds since 1964 and who, in 2006, was awarded the All America Selections Breeders Cup for his outstanding contribution to flower breeding. He’s had a hand in just about every good marigold introduced over recent decades.
You can order seed of French marigold ‘Alumia Vanilla Cream’ from
Plants of Distinction and from
Thompson & Morgan.
See the
RHS Plant Selector for details of other cultivars of French marigolds (
Tagetes).
** Please note the contents of this blog reflect the views of its author and are not necessarily those of the RHS **
