Calendula officinalis
HELLO ALL YOU LOVELY HERB ENTHUSIASTS! This week we’re talking about Calendula.
Calendula officinalis, part of the Asteraceae family, is a wonderfully benevolent, and sunny plant. Colloquially it’s called marigold, pot marigold and summer’s bride. One reason I love Calendula is that it’s super easy to grow! It was the first herb I ever grew from seed and I plan to grow it every year. It likes to bloom early and it keeps blooming late into fall, sometimes even peeking out from under the first snow. I started my seeds indoors this year and brought them with me when I moved from Washington to Colorado. I eventually moved the remaining plants into my parents’s garden in South Denver where I hope to harvest blooms next season. Calendula responds well to pruning. The more flowers you harvest, the more Calendula is encouraged to produce blooms. Harvest the flowers when they are sticky, resinous and not quite open. It likes to self-sow and will show up in surprising places the next year, depending on where the seeds land.
Medicinally, marigold is quite powerful while still being gentle. It is a vulnerary herb, meaning that it helps to repair wounds. It is an antiseptic herb and anti-inflammatory. Topically, it can be used as a salve, lotion, compress or wash. It’s great on burns, cuts, scrapes and rashes, especially those that are taking a little longer than you’d like to heal. However, don’t use calendula on an open wound. Wait until it has closed a bit because calendula can speed up the healing process so much that your body might scab too soon, actually trapping bacteria before your immune system has had a chance to fight it off. My personal favorite use is burns. I’ve used it on sunburns, a burn from my curling iron and, when I spilled hot oil on my foot. When I spilled the oil, I thought for sure it would blister and maybe even scar, but the burn was barely visible just a few days later. I gently washed the burn in cool water and applied a salve once it was dry. It made a potentially really painful accident very manageable. These repairing properties are due mostly to the carotenoid (phytonutrient) and coumarin content in calendula. Carotenoids give it it’s bright orange color and act as antioxidants in the human body. Coumarin is a chemical compound found in plants that has antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
Internally, Calendula has the same repairing and soothing properties and is often used in formulas for GI distress, ulcers and indigestion. It pairs well with Marshmallow root, which coats and soothes the GI, and Calendula is a bitter, which can aid digestion. Calendula has an awesome affect on the lymphatic system as well. It can help reduce the size of swollen glands, moving congestion out of the body. The best way to get the lymphs moving is to move your body. I like to drink some calendula before exercise to be sure I’m getting the most out of the herb that I can.
Calendula is associated with the sun, good health, cheer, and romance. Historically, they have been used as bridal flowers because of their association with affection consistency and long-lasting love. It’s said to have a masculine energy that is associated with the fire element. In folklore, it’s been said that sprinkling the blooms under your bed will make dreams come true and will help you win lawsuits.
