Lafayette College has proudly partnered with leading home gardening brand Burpee on a vibrant variation of marigolds—aptly named the Marquis Marigold—in honor of the College’s namesake.
Selected from Burpee’s breeding program, the Marquis Marigold has beautiful bi-colored blooms and is a nod to Lafayette College’s signature maroon color.
The seeds will make their debut as a gift for guests at the Marquis Founders Dinner this weekend, and will be available for sale to the public on the Quad and at the College Store starting Sat., Sept. 27.
“Through our campuswide initiatives like the Climate Action Plan, LaFarm, EcoReps program, and much more, Lafayette College is a champion of sustainability. I am very excited about our partnership with Burpee President and CEO Jamie Mattikow ’86. We share our priorities of engaged learning and purposeful sustainability during this significant moment in the College’s history,” says Nicole Hurd, president of Lafayette College.
The collaborative project was conceived as a fun, colorful way to celebrate two historic Eastern Pennsylvania institutions that are each celebrating milestones in 2026: As Lafayette turns 200 next year, Burpee will be celebrating 150 years of offering high-quality non-GMO seeds, plants, and supplies with the goal of inspiring and enabling gardeners to succeed.
“Jamie is a close friend and fellow classmate from Lafayette’s Class of 1986,” shares Wynne Whitman ’86, member of Lafayette’s Board of Trustees and Bicentennial co-chair. “We dreamed up this project as a way to honor two terrific Pennsylvania institutions both celebrating milestones, and it’s exciting for both Lafayette and Burpee to bring these flowers to the Lafayette community.”
“2026 will be special for Lafayette and Burpee,” says Mattikow, Burpee president and CEO, and Lafayette alum. “We are thrilled to bring some beauty and excitement to our alumni as we celebrate the College’s 200th anniversary. We look forward to seeing and sharing Leopards’ pictures of their beautiful grown-out Marquis Marigolds next year.”
