Calendula

If I had to choose just a handful of herbs to grow, Calendula (Calendula officinalis) would always make the list. I honestly couldn't imagine planting a garden without it. It flowers almost all year round, bringing bright splashes of golden orange to the garden even through the colder months, and right now it's absolutely flourishing, attracting many beneficial insects into my garden.

Despite being one of the easiest herbs to grow, I think Calendula is also one of the most underrated medicinal plants. It's beautiful, edible, loved by pollinators, incredibly useful in herbal medicine, and one of the first plants I reach for whenever I make herbal remedies or botanical skincare.

The name Calendula dates back to Ancient Rome, where the flowers were observed blooming around the 'calends' the first day of each month. True to its name, Calendula flowers almost continuously, often producing blooms in every season.

Throughout history, Calendula has gathered its fair share of folklore. In the 16th century it was believed to possess magical powers, with preparations said to help people see fairies. Herbalist Nicholas Culpeper later described it as "the herb of the Sun," associating it with warmth, vitality, and its radiant golden flowers.

One of my favorite stories comes from the Middle Ages. A woman unable to choose between her suitors would grind Calendula flowers with other herbs, simmer them with honey and wine, anoint herself, and recite a charm before going to sleep. Legend claimed her future husband would appear in her dreams. Whether or not it worked, it's a lovely reminder of the long relationship people have shared with this remarkable plant.

Calendula has been used for centuries to support healing, particularly when it comes to the skin. It's one of the gentlest medicinal herbs we have, making it suitable for the whole family, yet it's remarkably effective.

Its actions include:

* Anti-inflammatory

* Antimicrobial

* Antifungal

* Antiseptic

* Vulnerary (supports wound healing)

* Lymphatic

* Mildly astringent

* Emmenagogue (supports healthy menstrual flow)

Calendula is one of the very best herbs for inflamed, damaged, or slow healing skin. It helps stimulate tissue repair, supports healthy circulation to damaged areas, and encourages the growth of new skin. I use it for cuts, scrapes, burns, bruises, insect bites, cracked hands, rashes, eczema, and minor skin infections.

It's also one of my favorite herbs for making botanical skincare, and you'll find Calendula infused into many of my healing balms and moisturisers because it's so wonderfully soothing and restorative.

Although it's often thought of as a skin herb, Calendula is equally valuable taken internally.

A simple herbal tea can help calm digestive inflammation, ease cramps, indigestion, and mild digestive discomfort, while also gently supporting the lymphatic system and liver. Traditionally it's also been used during fevers, to soothe sore gums as a gargle, and to support healthy menstrual cycles and ease period pain.

Much of Calendula's anti-inflammatory activity comes from compounds called triterpenoids, along with flavonoids and carotenoids, all of which have been well studied for their beneficial effects.

Calendula is also a nutritious edible flower.

The vibrant petals are rich in antioxidant compounds including lutein, beta-carotene, and flavonoids, along with small amounts of vitamin C. These colorful pigments help protect our cells from oxidative stress while supporting healthy skin and eyesight.

The petals have a mild peppery flavor and can be scattered through salads, stirred into rice dishes, baked into cakes and biscuits, infused into vinegars, or sprinkled over almost any meal to brighten both the plate and your day. Even the young leaves are edible, although they're a little more bitter.

How to Use Calendula:

The flowers are the part most commonly used medicinally.

Fresh flower heads can be infused into tea, while dried flowers are perfect for storing and using throughout the year. I most often dry them before infusing them into oil to make healing balms and moisturisers, but they can also be made into herbal teas, skin washes, compresses, bath soaks, and soothing gargles.

Calendula is also one of the easiest medicinal herbs to grow. It happily self seeds, flowers prolifically, attracts bees and other beneficial insects, and makes a fantastic companion plant in the vegetable garden.

One point that often causes confusion is the name.

*Calendula officinalis* is commonly called Pot Marigold, but it isn't actually a true Marigold. The ornamental Marigolds most people grow belong to the genus *Tagetes*. Although they look similar and are both members of the daisy family, they're completely different plants with different medicinal properties.

Calendula is just one of the many common plants with extraordinary healing properties. Once you start learning about medicinal herbs, you'll never look at your garden in quite the same way again.

If you'd love to learn how to confidently identify, harvest, prepare, and use medicinal plants at home, my Grassroots Herbalism Guide is a wonderful place to begin. It's packed with practical information on medicinal herbs, herbal preparations, and simple remedies you can make yourself.

Whether you're completely new to herbalism or wanting to deepen your knowledge, this guide will help you build confidence and reconnect with the healing plants growing all around you.