Desert marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Yellow daisies nearly year-round with almost no water.
Hardiness: zones 7 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 1.5 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
From: SW North America
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: pollinators.
Native to: Desert Southwest. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.
The story
Desert marigold lines the roadsides of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts with lemon-yellow daisies on woolly grey stems. The wool is the trick: it reflects the sun and keeps the plant from drying out.
Planting
Full sun and gravelly, fast-draining soil. Sow seed in fall.
Growing
Hardly any water. Trim spent flowers to keep it going. Let it reseed; each plant lives a couple of years.
Harvest and use
Flowers from March to November for native bees and butterflies on almost no water.
What to watch for
Overwatering kills it quickly. Toxic to sheep and goats.
See if Desert marigold fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home