by Susan Pesznecker 
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Calendula |
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Species |
Calendula officinalis |
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Zone |
4–10 |
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Needs |
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Soil pH |
7.0 |
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Size |
18–24 in. |
Have you ever worked with calendula? It’s an attractive and useful flower that’s well worth adding to your gardening, culinary, and medicinal repertoires.
There are at least twenty marigold species in the Calendula genus. What we’re discussing here is Calendula officinalis, known casually as pot marigold. The species name officinalis is given to plants that have both medicinal and general herbal uses. For example, other plants that bear this species name include common garden sage (Salvia officinalis) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Some of calendula’s other folkish names include garden or common marigold, ruddles, and English or Scottish marigold.
Note that the “marigold” people typically grow in their yards—the one with flowers resembling small cheerleader pom-poms—are the common marigolds, genus Tagetes. The calendula we’re discussing here has composite flowerheads made of separate florets, resembling large gold or orange daisies.
Written evidence documents calendula’s earliest use in Egypt in the first few centuries of the common era. The plant was widely used medicinally throughout Europe as early as the twelfth century and is considered to be native to Europe. Penelope Ody reports that Macer’s twelfth-century herbal instructed users to simply gaze upon calendula flowers to improve their eyesight, while William Turner advocated the petals’ use as a dyeing agent, and Nicholas Culpeper advised it to treat smallpox and measles and strengthen the heart. Today, calendula has been naturalized widely throughout the temperate world and has become a much-beloved herb with a wide range of uses.
Cultivating Calendula
Calendula is native to many equatorial areas but grows readily in any mild or temperate climate. The seeds may be started indoors six to eight weeks before the final frost date or sown in a rich organic soil after frost danger has passed. In truth, the herb is easy to grow and will thrive just about anywhere that is warm and sunny.
Once the plants are established, don’t overwater: they prefer a slightly dry soil. The plants grow to two or three feet, producing multiple daisy-like flowers that are two to three inches in diameter.
Calendula has a long flowering season. If deadheaded and fertilized regularly, the plants will bloom well into autumn. They self-seed easily, so a patch of this year’s plants may give rise to the next year’s blossoms.
Harvesting
Calendula’s flowering heads and flower petals are most commonly used parts. Harvest them when flowers are fully developed and at their peak, and harvest in the morning, after the sun has warmed the air but before the midday and afternoon heat drives essential oils from the petals. In temperate climates, the flowers can be harvested from midsummer and into autumn. The flowers follow the sun, opening wide on warm days and closing as darkness settles or when the air cools. On especially hot days, the petals may feel sticky as plant resins are drawn up and deposited on the petals.
The petals are best used fresh, but the heads and flowers can be dried slowly for future use. To dry, spread in a single layer on newspaper or a screen frame and allow to dry in a warm room out of direct light—this will take two to three days.
Please don’t use a microwave for drying! Yes, microwaves dry herbs quickly, but the process also drives out most of the volatile oils and active constituents. The patience it takes to allow slow drying will yield a quality result. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the dried petals and heads into a powder.
An essential oil can be extracted from the petals, but the process is extremely expensive and takes a large number of flowers. Creating an infused oil (see the “Cosmetic Use” section of this article) makes a lot more sense, especially for everyday use.
For cooking with calendula, pick the leaves while they’re still youthful and unblemished and use while fresh.
Medicinal Use
The plant’s main medicinal use is as a skin rinse and antiseptic, treating wounds, scrapes, rashes, uncomplicated insect bites or stings, acne, minor (first degree) burns, diaper rash, athlete’s foot, and red or inflamed eyes. For these purposes, create a water-based infusion of the petals, adding 1–2 tablespoons of fresh petals to 1 cup of just boiled water; allow to steep for 10–15 minutes and then strain, cool, and use as a rinse, compress, or footbath.
A cool calendula infusion makes a soothing mouth rinse or throat gargle, while a hot infusion may be drank as a tea to ease symptoms of bronchitis, quell coughing, and treat stomach or intestinal upset. Add additional herbs for a boost: a mixture of dried (cooked) elderberries, rose hips, ginger, and calendula makes a powerful tonic for colds and flu season.
Powdered calendula mixed with water or oil creates a paste that soothes rashes and insect bites or stings. My grandmother used to tell me that a poultice or paste of mashed fresh or dried calendula petals would remove warts. I can’t confirm this, but perhaps it works—the grandmothers often have the best knowledge, after all.
Calendula is somewhat effective as a mosquito repellent. Its marigold cousins in the Tagetes genus are used as potent insecticides: be sure not to confuse the two!
Active Constituents and Their Effects
In herbal practices, a constituent refers to an element within the herb that has a specific physiological or medicinal effect. Some of calendula’s most important constituents include the following:
Bitter Glycosides: Support improved digestion and nutrient absorption; historically regarded as an important tonic and immune stimulant
Carotenes and Flavonoids: Rich in antioxidants, with cellular health and antiinflammatory properties
Mucilages: Absorb water and help protect irritated or damaged tissues
Saponins: Exert mild estrogenic effects and mild hormonal actions; stimulate the uterus and regulate menses.
Triterpenes: Act as expectorants and encourage nutrient absorption
Volatile Oils and Resins: Antiseptic and antifungal actions
Vulnerary and Astringent: Support healing of skin and mucous membranes; antispasmodic
It’s well known that deeply colored foods like blueberries, pomegranates, eggplants, and sweet potatoes tend to be rich in antioxidants. The same is true of calendula in terms of medicinal actions: the deeper orange the petals, the more powerful their constituents.
Allergy, Interactions, and Side Effects
People with ragweed pollen allergies or allergies to specific flowering plants may be allergic to calendula.
Calendula may cause additional drowsiness in people taking medications with sedative actions. Avoid using calendula in such situations without first checking with a physician.
Because of its estrogenic effects, calendula shouldn’t be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who are under treatment for cancer of the breasts or reproductive organs.
Cosmetic Use
An infused oil of calendula makes a lovely lubricant for dry skin or for massage purposes. Warm 1 cup of neutral carrier oil (olive, sunflower, apricot, or coconut) over low heat. Add 2–3 tablespoons of fresh petals and steep for 30 minutes—this will create a deep golden-orange oil. Cool and use as a topical or bath oil.
To make the infused oil into a cream, liniment, or lip balm, add 1 ounce of grated beeswax or cocoa butter to the warm mixture. Adding a few drops of tincture of benzoin (available at the pharmacy) will act as a preservative. Otherwise, store these products in the refrigerator for longer keeping.
Stir infused oil into 1 cup of sugar or coarse salt in a bowl ½ teaspoon at a time to make sugar or salt scrubs or bath salts.
Calendula Crafts
Calendula petals are a lovely, colorful addition to potpourri mixtures and can be used in homemade soap, adding color, texture, or both. Stir the dried or powdered petals into melted wax for beautiful candles.
Dyeing with Calendula
The vivid petals can be used with a variety of mordants (ingredients added to dye solutions to help set or fix the color) to create a range of natural dyes in yellows, oranges, golds, and even soft browns. This method uses salt; three other commonly available mordants are vinegar, cream of tartar (found in the baking section of supermarkets), and alum (found in hardware store or pharmacy). To dye white wool fabric or yarn using herbalist Lesley Tierra’s method, you’ll need the following:
2–4 tablespoons calendula petals for every 1 cup water
Water
Fabric or small skein of yarn
1 teaspoon salt for every 4 cups dye liquid produced
In a large saucepan, make a large quantity of infusion and steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain.
Add the fabric or yarn to the pan; turn heat high enough to simmer without boiling. Simmer for 30–45 minutes, until the desired shade is obtained.
Remove the fabric or yarn. Stir in salt and dissolve. Add the yarn or fabric back to the pan and simmer for another 30 minutes until it’s the color you want. Note that as the fabric or yarn dries, its color will lighten significantly—very much like paint on a wall. Therefore, when dyeing, get the material to a shade that’s significantly darker than what you want for an end result.
Turn off the heat, take the saucepan off the heat, and let the material cool.
Once the solution is cool, remove the fabric or yarn and rinse under cool water until the water runs clear.
Squeeze gently in a clean towel and then hang to dry.
Calendula is a “calendar flower.” The flowers start each day tightly closed, begin to open as sun strikes the petals, and open fully in mid-morning. The blossoms rotate through the day, following the sun’s movement through the sky. In late afternoon, the petals slowly close, and the plant “sleeps” at night.
Culinary
Fresh calendula parts are on the menu for culinary use, and having a pot or plot in your kitchen garden will furnish you with a renewable supply of petals. When harvesting, leave as much stem as possible and then set the flowers in a vase of water until you use them. They’ll stay plump and pretty.
The name pot marigold comes from traditional European stews that included calendula flowers. Stirring chopped petals into a soup or stew as it cooks will deepen the color. Add chopped petals to cooking rice or grains for a saffron-like hue. The petals have a slightly bitter taste, so add slowly and taste as you work.
Calendula petals can be used to color butter, cheese, ice cream, custard, and other dairy products as well as to make a delicious tea. The petals are also a colorful and tasty addition to green salads, and fresh calendula leaves can also be added to salads.
Toss a few petals to steep in your favorite oil and vinegar dressing. The flavor won’t change, but the color will be stunning.
Next spring, toss a few calendula seeds into a garden plot, and you too can share in the bounty of uses that come from the beloved pot marigold.
Resources
Bremness, Lesley. Herbs. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1994.
Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed. London: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 2000.
Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. London: Dorling Kindersly, 1993.
Tierra, Lesley. A Kid’s Herb Book. Bandon, OR: Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2000.