Calendula officinalis
An annual herb grown in
gardens since the Middle Ages for its bright-orange or yellow
single or double flowers, which are decorative from summer until
autumn. The basal leaves are spathulate and stalked, the stem
leaves lanceolate, alternate and sessile. All parts of the plant
are roughly hairy. The terminal and solitary flowerheads have
sterile, tubular discflorets and fertile, ligulate, spreading
rayflorets. The fruit is a rough, curved achene.
Pot Marigold is native to southern Europe but it is easily grown
in the British Isles and it often escapes on to waste ground. The
botanical name Calendula, a diminutive of the Latin word Calendae
(= first day of the month) meaning 'little clock', refers to the
plant's habit of flowering all year round in the wild. The double
forms with bright-orange flowers have the highest concentration
of active ingredients and these varieties are grown for medicinal
purposes on the Continent. The plant is still used in herbal
medicine but not as often as it once was. The flowers have been
used as a colouring agent.
Either the whole flowerheads or just the ray-florets are used
medicinally. Among the constituents are an essential oil,
pigments (carotenoids), bitter compounds, saponins, flavonoid
glycosides, mucilage and resin. These give Pot Marigold
vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, choleretic and antispasmodic
properties. It is not often used internally nowadays, but
extracts, tinctures and ointments are sometimes used externally
to heal stubborn wounds, bedsores, persistent ulcers, varicose
veins, bruises, gum inflammations and skin rashes. It is an
excellent mouthwash after tooth extraction. Pot Marigold is
probably more often-used in complexion creams and lotions for
cleansing, softening and soothing the skin. In the pharmaceutical
industry the bright-orange pigments in the flowers are used to
make medicinal preparations more attractive.
Flowering time: June to September