Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Herb Education
Written By Kristina DeMichele

the golden healer

Cheerful, golden, and radiant, calendula feels like sunshine made tangible. Ruled by the Sun, this flower has long been treasured for the way it lifts the spirit and nourishes the body. You may recognize it in skincare for its soothing, anti-inflammatory touch, but calendula works its magic from the inside just as beautifully—calming inflammation, supporting digestion, and gently nudging the body back into balance. In my sacral chakra blend, calendula brings not just physical support but a spark of joy and creativity, like a sunbeam cutting through a cloudy day.

Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis

Family: Asteraceae

Other Names: Marigold, Pot Marigold, Mary’s Gold

Parts Used: Flower head, petals

Description: Calendula is a low-growing plant, typically under 18 inches tall, with bright orange or yellow composite flowers on branched stalks. Its distinguishing feature is the upward curve of its petal-like ray florets, creating a cup-like shape, unlike most composite flowers with flat or convex ray florets. The central disk florets display Fibonacci spirals.

Uses and Health Benefits:

  • Treats burns, cuts, and scrapes (rebuilds cellular tissue at site of wound)

  • Reduces internal and external inflammation

  • Reduces/Breaks fevers

  • Stimulates flow of bile

  • Decreases pain during menstruation and brings on delayed periods

Herbal Actions: 

  • Astringent: Calendula's astringent properties accelerate wound healing and minimize scarring, particularly for damp/hot wounds with swelling, pus, redness, and inflammation. It cleanses wounds deeply by acting on blood and lymph, not just superficially preventing infection. Calendula also soothes sunburns.

  • Emmenagogue: Calendula eases painful menstruation symptoms and brings on delayed periods

  • Diaphoretic: Calendula warms up the system and pushes fluids to the surface to sweat out.

  • Cholagogue: Calendula, as a bitter, has a downward and outward action, draining fluids through lymphatic action and a constitutional effect on the liver, gallbladder, and entire gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a net drying effect.

Chemical Constituents:

  • Carotenoids

    • Xanthophylls like lutein protect your retina from UV/oxidative damage, prevent macular degeneration, and help protect ovaries

    • Gamma-carotene (rubixanthin)

  • Resin

  • Flavonoids 

    • narcissin, rutin 

  • Sterols

  • Saponins

  • Chlorogenic acid

  • Triterpenes 

    • Calendulosides A-D

  • Immunomodulating polysaccharides 

    • Arabinogalactans have immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory properties

Energetics: Calendula, though containing bitter and cooling triterpenes, has a net warming effect due to its pungent and warming resins and aromatic oils, categorizing it as a gentle 1st-degree warming agent with slight cooling and draining properties.

Systems: Lymphatic, Digestive, Female Reproductive, Skin

Planetary Ruler: Sun

Astrological Ruler: Leo

Origins: South-Central Europe, North Africa

Harvest: Calendula, an annual easily grown in gardens, gets its name from its year-round blooming capability in mild climates. Thriving in sunny spots and various soils, this fast-germinating plant produces many fleshy, somewhat hairy, oblong green leaves.

Taste: Primarily bitter (cooling); slightly sweet (nutritive for mucosal membranes), salty (water-retaining), and pungent (stimulating)

Contraindications: Avoid during pregnancy due to emmenagogue properties.

Kristina DeMichele