«Bright Baron» - Organic Calendula Seeds

Calendula «Bright Baron»

It is typically grown as an annual, but can be cultivated as a short-lived perennial in warmer climes. Calendula’s name derives from the Latin Calendae, referring to its long-blooming season – in certain locales it is said to bloom in nearly every month of the calendar. The species name, officinalis, refers to its historical use in apothecaries and pharmacopeias as the official medicinal species of the genus.

Calendula is also called marigold and pot marigold; it is often confused with members of the genus Tagetes, which go by the same common name. Marigolds in the Tagetes genus are in the same family as Calendula – the Asteraceae (Sunflower family) – but they are not interchangeable with calendula.

The «flowers» of the Asteraceae, or Compositae family, are actually an aggregation of miniature flowers called florets. Look closely at the picture below, and you can see the individual flowers in the center, not yet open, still in their bud form. When you pick calendula, your fingers will be sticky from the resinous bracts, which form the green base of the flower head. The resin is an important part of calendula’s healing legacy, and is a good indicator of strength. If you are buying calendula, make sure it has a bright yellow or orange color, which is a good barometer of its freshness and medicinal quality.