PlantFiles: Pot Marigold, English Marigold
Calendula officinalis

This colorful yellow and orange flowered annual will reseed itself if not deadheaded. Flowers bloom all summer into fall. Direct seed 1/2" deep, 1" apart in May, or start indoors 5-6 weeks before last frost date.

Calendula flowers are edible, and are a beautiful addition to salads. If cooked with rice, will create a saffron color.

Needs well-drained soil and prefers moderate watering. If you are in a mild winter zone 9-10, you can set them out in September and they will flower throughout the winter and into spring. They are somewhat prone to powdery mildew.

Allegedly deters pests, so plant liberally in vegetable garden or with other annuals in beds and containers to repel insects. Also has medicinal purposes, and is used in cooking, teas, lotions. etc.

Is fast growing, easy to grow, recommended for junior gardeners (petals are edible and seeds easy to hold). Its origin is Southern Europe

Calendula's bright color is a welcome visitor in my garden. They are easy to collect seeds from, easy to start from seed, completely edible (good for puppies!) - I'm most fond of the semi-double blooms myself. They freely reseed but are easy to pull if you want to remove them.

However ... I have often - maybe even always - had problems with mildew as the plants age. They are/would be perennial in my zone except I always end up pulling them when they become so dreadfully unattractive downed by mildew. :o(

Will sow itself out for the next season. But in protected places, like near to the house walls or in a sunny, but wind-protected corner, the plants will even survive a frosty winter (Germany, Rhine valley, near Cologne). So "annual" is somewhat relative for this plant. Sadly it seems near impossible to find wild type plants, at least here in Germany. If somebody has the wild plants and could send me some seeds I would be very happy.

Highly recommended for beginners -- I really can't think of an easier plant to grow from seed. Calendulas are a great addition to the herb or vegetable garden since they are edible, and they attract beneficial insects.

This plant grows great in sandy soil and can deal with either sun or shade. Very easy to grow and quite pretty. Flowers do well if cut and put in arrangements.

Oh boy, watch where you put this or faithfully dead head the flowers. The seeds do not have to be dried in order to pop and procreate. It does provide the cheeriest colour and makes the most soothing salve.

Calendula is one of my favorite annuals. I don't have problems with invasive reseeding here in the Catskills. My calendulas are usually the last annuals still alive after frosts hit in the fall, and I would love them just for that, but they are also quick to bloom, cheery, make great cut flowers, and are extremely easy to grow. They now come in a variety of cultivars, although the old Pacific beauties are my standby. Some cultivars have green centers, some black centers, and some are fully double. I have also grown a cultivar with a high essential oil content--its labeled in German, something like erfurter urbungen. That is weedier looking and entirely orange, and takes much longer to bloom--90 days, vs about 40 for the Pacific Beauties. I'm looking forward to trying a new cactus-flowered cultivar this year. The petals are tubular like cactus-flowered dahlias or zinnias.

Calendula is easy to grow .... once plants sprout but it should be noted that calendula seeds to not have a terribly long shelf life so sow more than you want to grow (to aid germination). There are a variety of colors and cultivars (most orange or likewise similar). Mine usually get about 12 inches. This is the calendula used to make medicinal calendula preparations. There are a few calendula varieties particularly (high in resins) suited to medicinal use.

I love this because it blooms continuously even past the first frost. I don't like fussy annuals, so this one is perfect for me! When they need deadheading, I crop them back, give the cuttings to my rabbits, and let it go again. Darkness aids germination of seeds.

More of a spring bloomer in my area -- doesn't hold up well to the heat.

Seems to thrive on neglect and reseeds rapidly. Supposedly an annual, I've had plants live 2-3 years in northern California. I give them no water at all in summer (heavy clay soil), but that hasn't slowed them down!

Several years ago I tossed a good quantity of
Calendula seeds into a drawer and literally forgot
about them.

For kicks, I scuffed a trough in the soil, dumped them
in and put two glass domes over them. I could not believe
it, the silly things popped up in just a couple of days after
all this time in the drawer.

I remember now why I loved them so much. They are
so easy, so trouble free!

Takes awhile to bloom if started from seed, sandy soil is no impediment. Full sun and tolerant of neglect, add the flower petals to rice, salads, and soups - use like a mild saffron. Flowers are reminiscent of Strawflowers but petals are soft, not dry. Great for the front border. Leaves seem susceptible to powdery mildew so water in am or early afternoon.

I have to give them lots of water in this heat.

An intriguing behavior in our San Jose (CA) clay soil garden is the sprouting of mini-blooms from a spent original bloom. Out of the center of a spent flower as many as 10 miniflowers will subsequently bloom simultaneously. This doesn't happen with all blooms, only around 2percent.

Mildew is a problem here, too, so agressive trimming of mildewed stems and branches keeps the plant tidy, and always sending up fresh foliage and buds.

This is a 12-month bloomer in our garden.