Common name: marigold, pot marigold
Botanical name: Calendula officinalis
Botanical family: Asteraceae
‘I am a herb of the sun. I am bright and beautiful attracting insects from far afield. Gardeners love me as I can repel pest insects and attract beneficial pollinators. My name comes from the Latin and means the first day of the month. It refers to my long flowering season. I am said to comfort the heart and spirit. Sow me around your gardens, but once I’m in, it’s hard to get rid of me.’
Cultivation
Marigold is an annual plant. It grows well in pot or in the garden, it spreads easily if you let it go to seeds. It prefers to be planted in full sun. It is very hardy.
How does it do here in Central Otago? It grows very well! It’s very hardy, tolerates hot windy weather as well as cold temperature and late frost. It flowers almost all year around in my garden, bringing bright orange colours here and there.
Traditional medicinal uses
Its main affinity is with the skin, but it also has a strong affinity with the digestive system, the cardiovascular system and the reproductive system.
Calendula is a healing plant. It is vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic and antiseptic.
The orange flower contains a lot more carotenoids than the yellow flower, therefore has stronger medicinal properties.
How to use it?
Part used: the flowers.
It can be infused in oil (for topical use), fresh or dried in teas, fresh in salads (use the petals), added to broth and soups.
It is very often used externally in creams and balms to help healing many skin conditions.
We use in most of our balms as it is a wonderful healing plant.
Mythology/Folklore
The flowers were used to give cheese a yellow colour.
It has a long history of herbal medicine and was used back in the 1500’s in cookery and medicine.
References
A Woman’s book of herbs by Elisabeth Brooke
Materia Medica of Western Herbs by Carole Fisher
A Modern Herbal by Mrs M. Grieve
