Each petal is a soft peach edged in dark russet for a two-toned look. Also called pot marigolds, calendulas prefer cool temperatures and may stop blooming during the intense heat of summer. Planting in afternoon shade will extend their blooming season considerably. Calendula flowers will surprise you again when night temperatures begin to cool and will bloom well into fall even with light frosts, and often self-seed from one year to the next. Clip off spent flower heads to encourage new blooms.
‘Cheers Yellow’ and ‘Cheers Tangerine’ are recent cultivars developed for superior heat tolerance.
‘Alpha’ sports 2–3 1/2″ orange blooms on 24-30″ tall plants. High resin content for medicinal use.
An excellent plant for creating predatory insect habitat in the garden. Attracts bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
Calendula has healed, soothed and held pestilence at bay for hundreds of years. Dried petals of the calendula plant are used in tinctures, ointments, and washes to treat burns, bruises, and cuts, as well as the minor infections they cause.