Yes — Strong Match
marigold is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and South Carolina's typical season runs ~265 frost-free days against the ~60 marigold needs.
Sow by about Sep 18
Marigold is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 60 frost-free days and a typical South Carolina season runs ~265 frost-free days, leaving 205 days of slack. That is room to sow as late as about Sep 18 and still finish before the usual first freeze (Nov 27), or to run a second succession.
Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →
60 frost-free days required against South Carolina’s ~265-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.
Marigold in South Carolina — the short answer
Marigold in South Carolina: full sun, against a state median of ~265 frost-free days.
- South Carolina zones
- 7a-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 27 - Mar 12 – Nov 23 - Dec 1
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 237 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 70 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Marigold is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical South Carolina site runs ~265 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score marigold against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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South Carolina is not one climate
A single South Carolina answer averages 46 counties whose growing seasons are 83 days apart — from 237 frost-free days in Chester County to 320 in Charleston County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what marigold can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 46 counties runs 256–277 days, with a median of 264 days — a 83-day span end to end.
Measured across 46 South Carolina counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Zone Comparison
Marigold Needs
- USDA Zones: Data pending
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
South Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 27 - Mar 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 23 - Dec 1
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Alluvial
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Marigold in South Carolina
The frost window
Across South Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 256-day window you can count on — up to 277 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Frost tenderness
Marigold is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when marigold goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 6 weeks ahead, so counting back from South Carolina's late-side last freeze of Mar 12 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 70 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 186 days to spare even in South Carolina's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Chester County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
Frost-free days
Marigold wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical South Carolina site sees ~265 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Marigold needs ~1700 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~5233 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so South Carolina's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Marigold likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7.5). That's the common-ground band across South Carolina's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a South Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your South Carolina site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 21.6% of South Carolina as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Marigold sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. South Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Marigold in South Carolina
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but South Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay requires amendment for drainage
High heat and humidity promote diseases
Hurricane risk along the coast
Growing marigold here specifically
Marigold likes pH 6.0–7.5 and its growing tissue burns around 32°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 21.6% of South Carolina poorly-drained, where its roots sit and rot.
Set marigold high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the roots. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Carolina grower, not just marigold — is covered on the South Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within South Carolina
South Carolina isn't one climate. In Chester County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 22 — roughly 14 days later than the recorded state median — so plant marigold to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Marigold needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Chester County — South Carolina’s shortest season at 237 frost-free days — clears that by 177 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in South Carolina. What varies is your own parcel.
Across South Carolina’s 46 counties the frost-free season runs from 237 days in Chester County to 320 days in Charleston County — a spread of 83 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median South Carolina county sees 265 frost-free days, leaving marigold about 205 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Marigold's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Marigold draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, marigold can only work that bloom inside South Carolina's frost window — roughly 265 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 27 - Mar 12) and closing at the first (Nov 23 - Dec 1), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Marigold
On Growable Ground, Marigold means Tagetes erecta — not to be confused with pot marigold (Calendula officinalis). a different genus grown as an edible and medicinal flower — the garden marigold here is Tagetes.
Recommended Marigold Varieties for South Carolina
South Carolina publishes no state variety trial for marigold, so we won't invent a "best for South Carolina" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (7a-9b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
South Carolina Cooperative Extension
For South Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for marigold, the canonical source is Clemson Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Marigold native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Marigold as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Carolina growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
What pests threaten marigold in South Carolina?
Japanese beetle is documented in South Carolina and will find marigold, but it is manageable here. What an experienced grower watches for, and does:
Japanese beetle
Worth watchingThis is on the University of Minnesota's list of Japanese beetle preferred plants — but their read is that fruits, vegetables and herbs tolerate limited leaf feeding, and that in most cases the damage is cosmetic and will not kill the plant.
What to do: Protect it only through the few peak weeks: handpick into soapy water in the cool of morning, harvest regularly through July and August to take the feeding pressure off the edible parts, and keep the plant well watered — a vigorous plant outgrows feeding that looks worse than it is. Do not hang a beetle trap.
Documented range: states listed as Japanese-beetle infested · University of Minnesota Extension, National Plant Board
Only pests whose documented range and host relationship both trace to a primary source appear here — so a quiet section means we have nothing sourced to tell you, not that your garden is pest-free.
Common Questions About Growing Marigold in South Carolina
When can I plant Marigold in South Carolina?
South Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Marigold is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Marigold mature before first frost in South Carolina?
Yes — Marigold matures in 70 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and South Carolina's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 256 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 186 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Marigold grown in across South Carolina?
South Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Marigold carries a range of zones Data pending, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical South Carolina site have?
A typical South Carolina site sees ~265 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Marigold needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Chester, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Marigold native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Marigold as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Marigold in South Carolina?
Marigold prefers pH 6-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across South Carolina soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Marigold actually grow on my specific land in South Carolina?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores marigold against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in South Carolina
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores marigold against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that South Carolina marigold averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the South Carolina marigold average
Explore More
Growing guides for marigold
Explore South Carolina county by county
South Carolina carries 46 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for marigold there:
Where else marigold grows
Marigold's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to South Carolina in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in South Carolina
South Carolina has a growing page for 1,034 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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