Calendula (Calendula officinalis), historically also known as Pot Marigold, is one of those cheery plants that has successfully transcended the gap between herbal medicine and ornamental gardening. Its sunny blossoms start blooming early in the summer if transplanted, and will proliferate all season long and even after frost, as long as the flowers are picked before going to seed. Like others in the Asteraceae family, pollinators flock to this plant, which provides a valuable long-term nectar source. While there are many types of ornamental calendula available on the market, highly medicinal varieties include Resina, Alpha, and Erfurter Orangefarbige. You’ll know you’ve got a potent calendula if when you pick the blossom (snapping it from the stem and removing the flower head and green bracts) your fingers get sticky with resin.
If you’re growing calendula and deadheading the plants regularly, you’ll find yourself with a wealth of flower heads to use. Luckily, there are endless ways to make use of this beautiful and powerful plant!
Calendula occupies a unique and important place in any herbal medicine chest. Powerful yet gentle, it’s listed as an active ingredient in balms for everything from cracked hands to rashy baby bums. Calendula enjoys a long history of use as a venerated wound healer and anti-inflammatory herb, soothing and repairing injuries and ulcerations of all kinds. As it also has documented immune-stimulating affects (through its work on the lymphatic system), calendula is also useful when dealing with skin issues that stem from some kind of infection. At the start of gardening season, I can often be found soaking my roughed-up hands in strong calendula tea to heal cracked cuticles and scraped knuckles.
But we can’t talk about skin without mentioning the skin that lines our insides- the digestive tract! In the same way that calendula heals external wounds, it is equally as powerful when taken internally to alleviate the effects of inflammation in the gut. Allergic reactions both inside and out can benefit from application of this herb, and it is gentle enough to use every day in a variety of ways. I love including calendula in mouthwash formulas to heal irritation and inflammation in the gums.
There’s no reason to relegate calendula to the first-aid kit, though. It is also a wonderful tool in the kitchen, adding color and beauty to baked goods and salads as the “poor man’s saffron”. To use, simply pluck the petals off the flower head, and sprinkle into your batter or lettuce mix. The center of the heads, with their sticky resin, tend to leave an uncomfortable feeling on the back of the throat when consumed raw, so it’s best to save those for tea infusions, or thrown into soups and bone broths where you’ll get the benefit of the herb and the visual delight as well.
Now that you’ve harvested your blossoms and dreamed up all the ways you’ll use your calendula, make sure to dry some for winter use. Flowers should be picked in the height of the day, when they have fully opened and any dew has dried. Dry flowers in baskets or on newspaper, spread in a single layer so that they are not touching (you can also use a dehydrator on the lowest setting). Calendula flowers hold lots of moisture, so it’s important to let them dry fully before storing, lest they get moldy on you. The center of the head should snap apart easily when dry. As the season wanes, leave some flowers to go to seed on the plant. You can harvest these fossil-like structures once they’ve turned brown and come off easily in your hand.
Calendula is an excellent and safe introduction into the world of herbal medicine, and with its myriad uses, it’s one of the most reliable plants you can keep on hand throughout the year.
Basic Calendula Oil, Two Ways:
Calendula flowers, wilted for a few days or completely dried
High quality oil, such as olive, sunflower, grapeseed, almond, or jojoba
Roughly chop calendula flowers and pack into jar, then fully cover with oil (add an extra glug or two to make sure flowers stay submerged). Label with contents and date, then leave to steep in a dry, shady place for 2-4 weeks. Different herbalists have different habits, and some prefer to let their oils steep in the sunshine, while I keep mine out of direct sunlight.
If you’re in a rush, you can quickly make an infused oil by heating the oil and flowers slowly in a double boiler, making sure that you stay well below the smoke point for that oil. Heat gently for an hour or two. In either case, when you’re finished infusing the oil, strain out and compost the flowers, label your oil, and store in a dark place for up to a year. You can use this oil to make salves, lotions, and creams, or apply directly to skin.
Gut-Healing Tea (make with fresh or dry herbs):
Calendula flower
Chamomile flower
Plantain leaf (Plantago spp.)
Fennel seed
Peppermint leaf
Blend equal parts of all herbs. Infuse about a handful (approx. ¼-½ cup) of herbs in 1 quart of boiled water, and allow to steep for an hour or overnight. Enjoy hot or iced, and drink daily as part of a regimen to help with digestive upset (can also be enjoyed as part of a healthy-skin regimen, too!)
Resources:
Calendula Monograph: https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/calendula
Henriette’s Herbal: https://www.henriettes-herb.com/blog/yell-calendula.html