Plant Stories
Calendula
Calendula officinalis
If you grow one herb for the apothecary, grow calendula. It is easy, cheerful, and generous — the more you pick, the more it flowers. The heads are sticky with resin when they are at their best, and they leave your fingers smelling faintly of something between honey and pine.
- Family
- Asteraceae (daisy family)
- Also called
- Pot marigold; nogotki in Russian — "little claws", for the curved seeds
- Parts used
- Flower heads and petals
- Where I meet it
- The front bed, by the path, from June until frost
Knowing it
An annual with soft, slightly hairy, spoon-shaped leaves and single or double orange-to-yellow daisy-like flowers. The seeds are the giveaway: curled, ridged, claw-like crescents.
Not to be confused with French or African marigolds (Tagetes), which have finely divided ferny leaves and a sharp smell. They are a different plant and not used the same way.
Gathering
Pick whole flower heads in the late morning on a dry day, when they are fully open. Pick every two or three days and the plant keeps flowering until frost.
Drying & keeping
Dry heads face-down on a screen in a warm, airy place out of sun. They take longer than you think — the centres hold moisture. Store only when the heads are crisp right through, or the jar will mould.
Preparing
Dried flowers are steeped in oil for salves. Fresh petals can be scattered on salads or used to colour butter, rice and cakes — they were once called "poor man's saffron."
What is known
Calendula has been a household skin herb for centuries — made into salves and washes for minor scrapes, chapped hands, and dry, irritated skin.
Its Latin name comes from calendae, the first day of the Roman month, perhaps because it seemed to bloom in every month of the year. Medieval cooks used the petals to colour cheese and broth.
My calendula salve lives by the kitchen sink and in the car. I use it on dry knuckles all winter and on the small scrapes that come with having children and a garden.
Some studies suggest topical calendula may support the healing of minor wounds and skin irritation, though the research is limited and not all results agree. It is best thought of as a gentle skin-care plant, not a treatment for serious wounds or burns.