Herb of the Month - Calendula

Calendula Calendula officinalis

I thought that Calendula would be the perfect herb of the month for January, given that the name ‘Calendula’ is derived from calends meaning the first day of the month, when it was thought that calendulas were usually in bloom. In fact, they are such a hardy little flower, there are not many months when they are not in flower. I thought it was a happy flower to welcome us into the new year.

When we bought our house, these simple yet vibrant flowers popped up everywhere. At the time, I wasn’t good at identifying many plants and didn’t know much about gardening, so they were referred to as ‘yellows’, obviously due to the yellow sunny flowers. Then I discovered orange ones…and since then many other beautiful varieties. Other names (other than ‘yellows’) include pot marigold, English marigold, Marybud and poor man’s saffron.

The flowers are like the sun, their little faces popping up around the garden and keep going throughout the year. It is traditionally said to lift the spirits and encourage cheerfulness. Anyway, it turned out that they are amazing little things, and I have grown to love them even more.

In the Kitchen

Calendula are also known as pot marigold, pot referring to the cooking pot. The petals are usually used and make a good culinary dye. They are also known as poor man’s saffron as the add colour and a slightly spicy taste to rice. Their colour can be extracted through boiling and can be used in butter, custards or liquids.

The petals can be added in cake, biscuit and even bread mixtures to brighten the bake and can also be used to decorate the top once cooked. The petals scattered over salads also add a hit of colour and bit of spice. A tea can also be made from the petals.

The leaves can also be used, although best either added to soup or cooked as they have a sticky tough texture when raw.

Harvesting

Though the leaves can be used, it is mainly the petals that are used in food and medicine. Harvesting the flowers will encourage more blooms. To harvest, cut the flower at the base of its stem and pinch off the flower heads. They are best harvested during the summer, just as they open. If wanting the leaves, they are best picked to use fresh only and not much good for storing.

To dry, place the flower heads on a sheet of brown paper or on a drying rack or tray. I have more success drying them on a plastic tray as I find the petals tend to stick to paper. Dry them in a cool, dark place as the sunlight will cause their colours to deteriorate. When they are completely dry, the petals can easily be removed from the flower heads and stored in clean airtight jars, out of sunlight. If you are not storing them in a cupboard, it helps to have a coloured glass to keep light out.

How to Grow

Calendula officinalis is a native of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. They are a hardy annual, flowering from spring to autumn, and even into winter. They are often our first and last flowers out and seem to grow anywhere and everywhere! Once grown in the garden, they readily self-seed (quite prolifically…), producing masses of seeds in a variety of different shapes, which I find fascinating. We don’t need to sow new seeds each year as they pop up from seeds the previous year. If I find plants growing in the wrong place, they seem to transplant quite easily when a good size, though I have also moved small seedlings in mass and found them to do well.

Sow in April-May if growing from seed. Although, I have sown later and they still have time to flower, providing blooms later into the autumn. Seeds can also be sown in autumn to flower the following spring (sometimes before). Either thin or transplant seedlings when they are large enough and plant in well-drained soil in a sunny area. Though they are a very hardy and tolerant plant, they do not like to be waterlogged. They grow well in our gravel and would make a lovely addition to a gravel garden.

They can also be grown in containers and as can be sown directly into the soil in your garden. As mentioned, once in the garden you may find you do not need to sow them every year as they are very enthusiastic self-seeders! I have never found this to be a problem and am always pleased to see them pop up somewhere, never failing to make me smile.

It is worth deadheading them to promote further flowering, though harvesting will also encourage new flowers.

History

The flowers were first used in Arabic and Indian cultures before being discovered by the Greeks and Ancient Egyptians.

Indian wreaths of the flowers were used to crown the gods and goddesses and they were used by the Romans and Ancient Egyptians in ceramics, rituals, and also to flavour food.

Calendulas were considered to be a symbol of love in the Medieval period and, once it was discovered that when used as a poultice the plant could stop bleeding, the petals were used on battlefields in the American civil war to treat and promote the healing of wounds.

Uses

As well as the name ‘pot marigold’ referring to the cooking pot, it also stems from when they were grown in pots for their medical and culinary uses, of which they have many. The Latin species name ‘officinalis’ denotes plants used in medicine or cooking.

Calendula contains anti-septic, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties promoting healing. It is also used internally for digestive problems and has been used in many cosmetic solutions, such as soaps and oils.

For burns, a compression of the poultice of the flowers will promote healing. Rubbed onto a bee or wasp sting, it will provide relief from pain. For a cold, an infusion of the freshly picked petals will encourage perspiration and expel mucus.

They are a good insect repellent and an excellent companion plant attracting aphids away from other plants, which you can then remove, therefore reducing aphid attacks on your vegetables. I grow many alongside our vegetables. Their shine and bright colour in itself are enough of a reason to grow them.

Happy January!