botanical name: Calendula officinalis
origin: Egypt / Albania
 
production: Calendula, also known as Marigold, is an annual herb with bright orange or yellow flowers which are harvested and dried after full bloom in summer.
 
qualities: Calendula has been used for centuries to colour and spice foods (most commonly soups and butter) as well as a dye to colour textiles and hair. It is also well known as a soothing first aid remedy, used topically on burns, cuts, and skin irritations, and used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial tea that is said to help treat urinary tract infections.
 
common use: The dried flower petals can be used on their own as a soothing herbal tea or in tea blends (Children's tea, Herbal Nighttime tea), as an herbal compress, stored in vinegar or alcohol to create a tinctures, infused in oil which has many cosmetic uses, or mixed into homemade soaps, lotions, and salves.