Herbal Spotlight: Calendula
Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis
Plant Family: Asteraceae, sunflower family
Other Common Names: Pot marigold, common marigold
Introduction to Calendula
Calendula is an easy-to-grow herb that is also very versatile. It has been used internally and topically for centuries to heal wounds, burns, and rashes. The sunshiny flower is also edible and brimming with antioxidant compounds. It is important to distinguish upfront between Calendula (Pot Marigold) and Marigold. Since both plants have marigold in their name, it can get confusing. While both Marigold and Calendula (Pot Marigold) are in the same family, the sunflower or Asteraceae family, Marigold is in the Tagetes genus and is an ornamental flower that is not used medicinally.
Calendulas Key Constituents
Flavonoids (including rutin and narcissin), triterpenoid saponins (calendulosides A-D), volatile oil (Hoffmann, 2003), carotenoids, phenolic acids (e.g., chlorogenic acid and coumaric acid), resin, sterols, tannin, amino acids, mucilage (Arora et al., 2013), and polysaccharides (Muley et al., 2009).
Calendulas Cultivation
Calendula is widely cultivated and has naturalized in temperate climates throughout the world (University of Wisconsin, n.d.).
Zones: Can be grown as an annual in all zones; short-lived perennial in zones 8–11. Full sun to light shade
Soil: pH 4.5–8; fertile, well-drained garden soil
Size: 1.5 to 2 feet (0.5–0.6 m) tall; 1 foot (0.3 m) wide
Propagation: Growing Calendula from seed is easy. Sow the rather creepy-looking seeds directly in the ground in mid-spring; germination takes five to fourteen days. Although if you have free-roaming chickens like me who are prone to trampling freshly sprouted seedlings, you can start Calendula in flats in the greenhouse and plant them out.
Calendula In The Garden
Calendula thrives in just about any soil that is not overly wet or dry. Calendula prefers full sun but will tolerate a little shade.
Calendula makes for a wonderful companion plant since it attracts beneficial insects. It is grown as an annual in colder climates and a short-lived perennial in warmer climates.
Calendula will self-sow if you do not mulch heavily, and it thrives in containers (fitting that it is called pot marigold!).
There are numerous varieties of Calendula in varying shades and hues, from orange to yellow to deeper reds. If you are growing Calendula for medicinal purposes, you can grow any of the Calendula officinalis cultivars, although the yellow and orange varieties are more common in medicinal preparations.
Insects and Diseases: Slugs, aphids, whiteflies, and leafhoppers can be a problem for Calendula. Calendula can also be affected by asters yellow. This is a viral disease, so it is recommended that you avoid planting Echinacea and Calendula together to help control the spread of the disease between crops.
Harvesting: Calendula can be harvested every few days. This will encourage the plant to continue to flower. Avoid letting Calendula go to seed because it will stop producing new flowers. As you harvest, remove any spent flowers ready to set seed. I like to harvest once the morning dew has dried and the flowers look fresh and sunshiney! Make sure to harvest the entire flower head as the resin in the green base of the flower is medicinal. Once picked, I recommend drying them on a screen for good ventilation and tossing them about from time to time as they dry. You want to ensure the entire flower head is dry before storing them. As a general guideline, drying can take 7+ days.
Sustainability Issues: No known sustainability issues.
Calendulas Medicinal Properties
Part used: Whole flowers
Medicinal Preparations: Tea, tincture, infused oil, salve, lotion, broth, compress, poultice, fancy ice cubes, garnish, vaginal douches and suppositories, and sitz baths
Tincture ratios and dosage: Fresh flowers 1:2 95%; dried flowers 1:6 70%. Both preparations 2–3 ml (2/5 to 3/5 teaspoon) three times a day
Infusion ratios and dosage: 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of the dried flowers infused in 1 cup (240 ml) of water three times a day; 3 to 12 grams of the dried flower a day by infusion (You can read about the benefits of calendula tea here.)
Topical: Lotion, salve, or wash as needed (Hoffmann, 2003).
If you are not growing Calendula and instead choose to buy it be aware that it is sometimes sold as “petals.” While the petals are medicinal, the whole flower head is where you will experience this plant allies full medicinal benefits. The resinous flower base is an essential part of calendulas healing properties. So when purchasing Calendula, please make sure it has the green base of the flower head, and the petals are a bright yellow or orange color.
Actions: Anti-inflammatory, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antimicrobial, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Astringent, Cholagogue, Demulcent, Diaphoretic, Emmenagogue, Hepatic, Immune tonic, Lymphatic, Vulnerary
Energetics: Warming, drying, and neutral
Taste: Bitter (mild), Sweet, Pungent, Salty
Ways to Use: Tea, Tincture, Infused oil, Infused vinegar, Salve, Lotion, Compress, Food, Pessary, Poultice, Soak, Swab, Powder, Mouthwash, Gargle, Douche
Calendulas Medicinal Uses:
Topical: Calendula is well known for its soothing anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and vulnerary qualities and is often found in everything from diaper rash ointments to dry skin formulas, acne and eczema remedies, and formulas for wounds, scrapes, cold sores, abrasions, and more! Calendula is an external remedy for practically every skin complaint. We keep a Calendula salve on hand at all times. I use it often throughout the gardening season as my hands are constantly in the dirt and then washed, leaving them dry and chaffed.
Internal Uses: Calendula is a digestive ally and can be used for reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gastric and intestinal issues (McIntyre, 1996) (Hoffmann, 2003).
Calendula is excellent for stimulating the lymphatic system and is used to treat acute or chronically swollen lymph nodes resulting from respiratory infections, localized infections, and tonsillitis. It is also used to build immunity by helping to prevent infection by stimulating the lymphatic system.
Precautions and Contraindications: Do not use internally during pregnancy. As Calendula is in the aster family, it may cause a reaction in highly sensitive people to plants like ragweed and chamomile; this possibility is rare, but sensitive individuals should proceed with caution when taking Calendula for the first time (Brinker, 2010; Hoffmann, 2003).
REFERENCES:
Arora, D., Rani, A., & Sharma, A. (2013). A review on phytochemistry and ethnopharmacological aspects of genus Calendula. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 7(14), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.120520
Brinker, F. (2010). Herbal contraindications and drug interactions (4th ed.). Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: The science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
McIntyre, A. (1996). Flower power. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Muley, B.P., Khadabadi, S.S., & Banarase, N.B. (2009). Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Calendula officinalis Linn (Asteraceae): A review. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 8(5), 455-465. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v8i5.48090
University of Wisconsin. (n.d.). Calendula, Calendula officinalis. Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension. Retrieved from https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/calendula-calendula-officinalis/
