CALENDULA – “Herbal Sunshine”

Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis

Synonyms: The common old English Pot Marigold

The name derives from calendae (Latin) = the first
day of the month & also the day upon which interest
must be paid. This refers to its long flowering time,
even through the winter months if the weather
allows (Vermeulen 2002).

Family: Asteraceae (Daisy family). Formerly called

Compositae.

Other family members include: “Herbal Sunshine”

 Arnica (Arnica montana)  Burdock (Actium-lappa)
 Calendula (Calendula off.)  Gravel Root (Eupatorium-purpurea)
 Echinacea (Echinacea sp.)  Boneset (Eupatorium-perfoliatum)
 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)  English Daisy (Bellis-perennis)
 Milk Thistle (Cardus marianus)  Liferoot (Senecio)
 Dandelion (Taraxacum off.)  Golden Rod (Solidago virgurea)
 Holy Thistle (Cnicus benedictus)  Wormwood (Artemisia absinthum)
 Chamomile (Matricaria cham.)  Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum)
 Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa)  Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
 Elecampagne (Inula helenium)  Wormseed (Artemisia annua)

Part(s) Used Medicinally: Petals and flower heads.

The medicinal properties are resident in the resin which are concentrated on the underside of the
flower heads, less so on the petals, leaves and stems. They make the plant sticky (Wood 1998).
Collection: Either the whole flower tops or just the petals are collected and dried. They should be
shade-dried with care to ensure there is no discolouration. Extracts made from fresh flowers are
too watery.

Active Constituents: (Kuhn & Winston 2008, Bone 2007):

Triterpenoid esters (anti-inflammatory activity)
Faradiol monoester (equals indomethacin in action)
Essential oils (antibacterial)
Sesquiterpene glycosides
Sterols & fatty acids; calendic & oleanic acid
Oleonolic acid glycosides
Flavonols. Coumarins. Primary nutrients:
Tocopherols (antioxidant) Dried petals have a saffron-
like quality and have been
Carotenoid: lutein & other carotenoid pigments including used in cooking and in salads
flavoxanthin, lycopene, and rubixanthin (anti- (Kuhn & Winston 2008).
inflammatory, antioxidant) Minerals, including iodine.
Biochemically, the Asteraceae family members are characterised by the presence of the
polysaccharide inulin in the subterranean parts (instead of starch), and by fatty oils in the seeds
(Vermeulen 2002). Inulin is a preferred food for the lactobacilli in the intestine and can improve the
balance of beneficial bacteria in the bowel, hence improves intestinal health (Bergner 1997).

Body System Affinity(ies): SKIN. LYMPH/ IMMUNE. LIVER. ‘Soft parts’

 Herb Med 2 2010 – Calendula 2
Herbal Actions: (Bone 2003; Kuhn & Winston 2008; Wood 2008)
Vulnerary Antimicrobial
Anti-inflammatory Antiviral (topically)
Lymphatic Antifungal (topically)
Styptic (haemostatic) Emmenagogue

Murphy (2001): “Calendula belongs to the same family as those other great vulneraries: Arnica &
Bellis perennis. The kinds of wounds indicating its use are lacerated wounds and suppurative
wounds. Calendula is … antiseptic. It restores the vitality of an injured part, making it impregnable
against the forces of putrefaction.”

Therapeutic Application/ Medicinal Use: (Bone Physiological Mode(s) of Action: (Wood 1998,
2003, 2007; Kuhn & Winston 2008; Wood 1998, 2008)
2008)
It is for “places where the sun doesn’t
Inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal shine”: damp, stagnant, inflamed glands
cavity (internal & topical) under the neck, breasts, underarms, groin
Gastric & duodenal ulcers – ie lymphatic structures, which lie like a
Enlarged or inflamed lymph nodes vast netting under major structures of the
body (under chin, arms & breasts, in the
Acne; sebaceous cysts
armpits, and in inguinal crease).
Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea
Calendula is not an antiseptic pe se but
Conjunctivitis bacteriostatic – it keeps wounds clean by
Post-mastectomy lymphedema & pain containing the spread of bacteria.
Chronic colitis Specific for external wounds and
Promotes bile production lacerations, where the skin has been
Prepares for the stress of winter by removing broken. Helps granulation of wounds &
old lymphatic congestion and lingering healthy scar tissue, and generally removes
infections. the exhaustion of people recovering from
wound infection. It prevents suppuration of
As an emmenagogue it has a reputation of pus and helps wounds heal cleanly.
helping delayed menstruation and painful
periods. It is in general a normalizer of the Calendula cleans wounds “from the inside”
menstrual process. – through the lymphatics beneath the skin.
If pus has formed it keeps the inflammation
Topically for: from spreading, lessens the pain, slowly
Enhances epithelisation of surgical wounds. resolves the pus, and moves the debris
Used where fingers or parts of flesh have way through adjacent lymphatics.
been torn off/ mechanical injury or surgery. This points to its traditional usage as a
Burns; scalds; to help control bleeding remedy for the lymphatic and immune
Cracked nipples after breastfeeding. system. It is suited to people who have
had swollen glands for some time, without
Inflammation of the skin & mucosa; signs of active inflammation, but with some
Wounds, esp. poor/ slow-healing wounds dulling of immunity. Its action tends to be
Leg ulcers; venous circulatory problems gentle.
Acne, dermatitis (eczema); nappy-rash It helps the lymphatic system remove
Mouth ulcers, herpes simplex lesions dampness from wounds and helps the body
resolve general lymphatic stagnation.
Insect bites. Basal cell carcinoma
Mouthwash: heals gums after tooth People who suffer from poor immunity/
extraction. lymphatic stagnation are most prone to
Esp. effective on cat scratches developing the kinds of topical wounds
Varicose veins, haemorrhoids Calendula is so suited to healing.
Vaginal discharge
 Herb Med 2 2010 – Calendula 3
Wood (2008): Calendula possesses at least seven main properties:
1. Applied externally to wounds as an antiseptic, bacteriostatic, and haemostatic;
2. Used internally it is therapeutic for swollen glands and lingering, unresolved infections,
cleansing the lymphatics glands and ducts;
3. It lowers high enzyme counts from damaged liver;
4. It soothes the digestive mucosa, and other mucous membranes;
5. It warms the stomach, drives heat to the periphery, thins fluids, and causes sweating in fever;
6. It promotes the period; and
It is a traditional European peasant tonic to prevent sickness in winter – an “immune tonic”.

Formulations/ Other options:

Throat inflammations/ septic sore throat: Calendula, Echinacea & Myrrh
Ulcers & cancers of the stomach: Calendula & Golden Seal

A vaginal douche can be made with other ingredients like Lemon juice, Golden Seal, White Pond
Lily etc, or Calendula tea used alone, for:
Vaginal warts, irritated or dry vaginal walls, and as a gentle vaginal wash after a period
Bleeding or tearing of vaginal walls, with fibroids at menopause, or after childbirth – against
irritation and infection.

Compare:
Arnica – specific for bruises, strains and contusions (blows with blunt instruments), where the
skin is generally not broken (Calendula where the skin is broken).
Other lymphatic cleansing herbs such as: Fenugreek, Violet Leaves, Cleavers, Echinacea,
Astragalus, Red Clover etc.

Contraindications/ Interactions:
None known (Bone 2003)
Contraindicated in known allergy to Calendula (Bone 2007).

Cautions:
Known allergy to other members of the Asteraceae family (Bone 2003).
Do not confuse with African Marigold (Tagetes).

Herb/ Drug Interactions: Unknown (Kuhn & Winston 2008).

Pregnancy/ Lactation: No adverse effects expected (Bone 2003).

Dosage:
Used as an infusion, tincture, salve, ointment etc
1.5 – 4.5ml of 1:2 liquid extract per day
10-30ml of 1:2 liquid extract per week
For external use, apply tincture to affected area (dilute tincture 1:2 in water for open wounds). Local
treatments may be with a lotion, a poultice or compress, whichever is most appropriate.

Part 2 - extra information

 Herb Med 2 2010 – Calendula 4
Habitat: An annual, native to the Mediterranean countries, China and India. Believed to have
originated in Egypt, now cultivated worldwide. It is found as a garden escape on waste, cultivated
and arable land and along roadsides.
Calendula is a plant favouring chalky soils rather than wet.

Traditional Use:
Used in German folk medicine as a remedy for wounds and glandular problems (Wood 1998). It
was used in quantities during the American Civil War to treat wounds and to prevent suppuration.
During World War I the flowers were used as a haemostatic, on account of their ability to astringe
the capillaries (Vermeulen 2002).
There is an old English practice of putting Calendula flowers in soup in the winter time, to increase
resistance to colds and fevers (England has a damp winter with little sunlight).
European peasants gathered the flowers throughout the year and threw them in soups in autumn
and winter to warm and protect against wind and chill (cf. Astragalus).

Folklore/ Mythology:
Grieve (1931):
“It is said to be in bloom on the calends of every month, hence its Latin name, and one of the
names by which it is known in Italy - fiore d'ogni mese - countenances this derivation. It was not
named after the Virgin [Mary], its name being a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon merso-
meargealla, the Marsh Marigold. Old English authors called it Golds or Ruddes. It was, however,
later associated with the Virgin Mary, and in the seventeenth century with Queen Mary.”
LOVE:
In Balkan countries peasant girls allegedly dig
the earth from the footprints of their sweethearts
and use it to pot up a Calendula which
represents to them the symbol of enduring love,
a magical love that forever puts forth new
blossoms (Vermeulen 2002).
 Movie: ‘Monsoon Wedding’ – features
Calendula flowers in the search for marital
love.
Calendula has been associated with jealousy and
sorrow, as in the Greek myth of Helios (the Sun
god) falling helplessly in love with the mortal
woman Leucothoe, the daughter of the Persian
king Orchamus. This caused bitter jealousy in an
old flame of the sun god, Clytie, who still loved
him and wanted him for herself.
It all ended in sorrow for all, and Clytie became the heliotrope - a plant that turns its head to the
sun, in the same manner that Calendula does (Vermeulen 2002).
Calendula was one the plants regarded as ‘heliotropium’.

Herbal Energetics: (Wood 2008):

Taste: Sweet, bitter, pungent, salty  Warm  Resinous, astringent
Tissue State: Cold/ Depression (ie. the herb has a warming, diffusive action)
 Herb Med 2 2010 – Calendula 5
Constitution/ Complexion: (Wood 2008)
Yellow look around the eyes; tired eyes; feels and looks “bone weary”
Sometimes the facial skin is red and dry; generalised yellow complexion
Tongue: slightly puffy, pink or red papillae down the sides of the tongue, indicating unresolved
lymphatic inflammation.

Mental/ Emotional:
Calendula is an excellent remedy for Seasonally Adjusted Disorder
(SAD), which affects people particularly during the winter months.
In homeopathy it has been used to treat dark depression (a ‘herb of the
sun’), especially where there is a history of injury or trauma. Mental
symptoms include (Vermeulen 2002):
 ‘Desires light’. ‘Lack of self-confidence’; ‘lack of power to overcome
a trauma’. ‘Hypochondriacal’. ‘Needs help from an ally or friend.’
Heavy depression. History of candida (Wood 2008).

Other Comments/ Observations/ Insights:

All members of the Asteraceae family are wound remedies – each member treats a specific type of
wounding that tends to express itself through certain body organs, systems and structures.
Calendula prefers to grow in chalky soils – high in Calcium. Calcium and Vitamin D are needed for
healthy functioning of the lymphatic/ immune system. Calcium deficiency is associated with
stagnant lymphatics/ swollen glands. “Scrofula”, or stagnant lymphatics, was associated with
tuberculosis – which severe calcium deficiency can produce the tendency towards, especially
without access to hygienic living conditions and adequate sunlight. Given the amount of time many
modern workers spend indoors under artificial lighting conditions, it may be no wonder that ‘poor
immunity’ is such a common problem in our society.
Calendula is a spreading, proliferative plant, regarded as an invasive weed in some parts – its
growth pattern is a signature for the lymphatic system with its netlike, spreading channels. Illness
spreads quickly through the lymphatic system once it takes hold there:
“The seed germinates quickly and easily, and the plant comes up rapidly, its many leaves giving
evidence powerful, indomitable forces of swelling, proliferative growth. … If the herb is touched, the
smell lingering on one’s hands is in part aromatic, but in part has a note of decay, of the grave, a
pungency also found in the scent of the flowers which derives from a resinous constituent. It is as if
this herb, with its strongly proliferative growth, constantly under threat of proliferative decay,
protects itself by embalming its living body. Almost as soon as the strangely curled seeds are in the
ground, the first leaf appears.” - Vermeulen 2002.
Calendula was also the ‘flower of the dead’ – her scent strengthening the unpleasant and putrid
(consider this signature relative to its cleansing action in the body).
References:
Bergner, P. 1997. Inulin. Medical Herbalism – Journal for the Clinical Practitioner.
http://www.medherb.com/92INULIN.HTM
Bone, K. 2003. A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Bone, K. The Ultimate Herbal Compendium. 2007. Phytotherapy Press.
Grieve, M. 1931. A Modern Herbal. Harcourt, Brace & Company.
Hughes, R. 1880. Manual of Pharmocodynamics. B. Jain.
Kuhn, M. & Winston, D. 2008. 2nd Edition. Herbal Therapy & Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional
Approach. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Murphy, R. 2001. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. Indian Books and Periodicals Publishers.
Wood, M. 1998. The Book of Herbal Wisdom. 1998. North Atlantic Books.
Wood, M. 2008. The Earthwise Herbal. North Atlantic Books.
Vermeulen, F. 2002. Prisma. Emryss bv Publishers.