Descriptions of Plants: Calendula officinalis

The Golden Flower

“The Marigold that goes to bed with the sun, / And with him rises weeping.”

A Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare

Calendula has a rich history and folklore with its roots ( 😉) in the Mediterranean region of Europe, where the Romans first named the flower calendula after observing that it always bloomed on the first day of the month, or calends (in Latin). Considered at this time as a magical herb, protecting from evil spirits and disease, it was even thought to give clairvoyant dreams where in England during the Medieval Ages women who were undecided between suitors, would apply a tincture and the appropriate suitor would appear in her dreams. In the bath, calendula flowers were said to strengthen the spirit, helping one to win the admiration and respect of others. Calendula has captured the passions of cultures far and wide, taking on names like Mary’s Gold, Marigold, solsequium, and even Egyptian saffron. By all calendula is considered a comforting herb for heart and spirit.

An annual herb, it grows easily and quickly in moderately rich and well-drained soil, and its flowers follow the movement of the sun, opening their blossoms mid-morning and closing in the late afternoon. Sprouting in early spring and blooming through late autumn (and sometimes even into winter!), in some cultures it is a symbol of endurance, alluding to its ability to bloom for so long. While the genus Calendula has about 20 different varieties, C. officinalis is the only one used in medicine, skincare, and the kitchen.

When we first started our own medicinal garden, calendula was the first plant we tested. We were told “nothing grows here” and thankfully we had enough determination to try anyway. We prepared a small patch, strew the calendula seeds liberally onto the earth and waited. Sure enough, 3-4 weeks later we had the first seedlings poking their leaves out. This gave us the confidence to try other plants and now we have over 20 plants we use in our skincare products all growing comfortably and beautifully. This first patch is now being used as a veggie garden 3 years later and the calendula still pops out in between the potato hills and squash patches!

Calendula is a soothing herb, and infusions, balms, creams, and salves with calendula are known to treat poorly healing wounds, scrapes, burns, bruises, cuts, and inflammation. It is regenerative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, lymphatic, and antiseptic and in our serum it is, of course, included as part of our main ingredient which is an extract of the botanicals from our biodynamic garden. The flowers are the most potent part of the plant, filled with carotenoids and beta-carotene (what give the petals their lovely yellow and orange hues), lycopene, phenolic acids, sterols, saponins, flavonoids, resins, sterins, quinones, mucilages, vitamins, polyprenylquinones, and essential oils. Not difficult to see why they not only make it into our products, but also why we feature the flowers so prominently in our branding!

Find our biodynamic calendula in the Extrait de Maison Biodynamic Rejuvenating Oil.