One Of My Favorite Herbs: Calendula officinalis

October's Birth Flower is the Calendula (Pot Marigold or Poet's Marigold or Mary's Gold), one of my favorites. The name "calendula" comes from the Latin word kalendae, which means the day of the new moon. Our word "calendar" is a derivative. It's really cultivated as a herb and has antibacterial, anti-viral and antioxidant properties. It is also extremely high in A and C vitamins, carotenoids and natural flavonoids, natural iodine, carotene, and manganese, which promote skin cell regeneration. Dried petals are used for making creams, lotions, tinctures, teas and poultices and can help heal burns, cuts, rashes, chapped and/or dry skin and insect bites. But anyone having allergies to plants in the daisy or aster family, including chrysanthemums and ragweed, may also have allergic reactions to Calendula so it would not be good for them.

Right now I have some ready to use to make my own Calendula salve but more on that later. Calendula is one of the EASIEST plants I grow in my garden. It's very tolerant of poor soil and one of the greatest things is that it reseeds itself in the spring.

Even after a couple of hard frosts my Calendula (Orange Zinger and Red Splash) is still blooming. These are photos I took a few days ago in the garden. I have both orange and yellow. They're such sunny, cheerful flowers!

Inside, in a vase, for my windowsill:

". . . the Marigold that goes to bed wi’ th’ sun,
And with him rises weeping . . ."
~William Shakespeare~


Disclaimer: I am not a certified medical or herbalist professional of any kind and I am not qualified to give any one medical advice. My goal is merely sharing my interests and life; hoping it will perhaps inspire some one else in the beauty of the created natural world and the "Hidden Homemaking Arts" - not to consult any one on medical or herbal treatment.