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Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.

Comparing Maltese Cross vs. Butterfly Weed vs. African Marigold

The comparison

Maltese Cross vs. Butterfly Weed vs. African Marigold

Units
Growing facts for Maltese Cross, Butterfly Weed and African Marigold, side by side
Fact
Maltese CrossSilene chalcedonica
Butterfly WeedAsclepias tuberosa
African MarigoldTagetes erecta
DifficultyEasyModerateEasy
Life cyclePerennialPerennialAnnual
Germination timeNot yet verified14–21 days4–7 days
Germination temperatureNot yet verified18–21 °C64–70 °F24–27 °C75–81 °F
Sowing depthNot yet verified6 mm¼ in6 mm¼ in
SunFull sun, partial shadeFull sun, partial shadeFull sun, partial shade
WaterModerateLowModerate
ContainersNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedYes
Frost toleranceNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedTender (no frost)
Soil pHNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedpH 6.0–7.0
Links
How to grow maltese crossRemove maltese cross
How to grow butterfly weedRemove butterfly weed
How to grow african marigoldRemove african marigold

Up close

Meet the seeds

What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.

  • Maltese cross plants with dense clusters of bright red flowers growing among green grassFlowers

    Maltese Cross

    Silene chalcedonica

    Difficulty: Easy

    Maltese cross is an erect perennial with scarlet, cross-shaped summer flowers that attract pollinators. It grows about 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm) tall in full sun or partial shade.

    How to grow maltese cross
  • Butterfly weed dense orange flower cluster in full bloom with narrow green leavesFlowers

    Butterfly Weed

    Asclepias tuberosa

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Butterfly weed is a native perennial with bright orange flower clusters that draw butterflies. It grows from seed in full sun, but plants usually take two to three years to bloom.

    How to grow butterfly weed
  • African marigold plants growing in a field with many orange pompom flowers under a cloudy skyFlowers

    African Marigold

    Tagetes erecta

    Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots

    African marigold is a tender annual grown from seed in full sun, with fragrant leaves and showy flowers that attract butterflies. It also grows well in containers.

    How to grow african marigold

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The table, row by row

How to read a comparison

Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.

  1. Sprouting

    Germination time and temperature

    How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.

  2. Sowing

    Sowing depth and spacing

    How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.

  3. Timing

    Days to maturity and life cycle

    How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.

  4. Light and water

    Sun and water

    Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.

  5. Space and weather

    Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH

    Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.

  6. Pets

    Toxicity to cats and dogs

    Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick wins

Fastest to sprout

Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.

Pet friendly

Safe around cats and dogs

Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.

Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.

Comparing

Questions about comparing

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Where do the facts come from?
From each seed's profile. Every fact there is researched and reviewed by our editors before it goes live.
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Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.

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