Uses for Calendula

Calendula officinalis, or pot marigold, is an annual plant that bears daisy-like orange and yellow blooms from spring through fall. Calendula plants are easy to grow, and although they are annuals, they will self-sow and reappear year after year if conditions allow. Calendula can grow in poorly enriched soils, in partial shade, or full sun. Aside from its popular use as a sturdy, colorful staple of the garden, calendula has proven to be helpful in other several other areas as well.

Culinary Uses

The petals of calendula flowers have a sightly spicy flavor, and are a welcome addition to the kitchen. They are used fresh in salads or dried in baked goods according to herbalist Patrick Lima in his book "Herbs, the Complete Gardeners Guide." The petals also contain a substance that can be used as a food coloring that has been used in butter and cheese. Calendula petals have also been used as an economical substitute for saffron, lending a mild yellow tint to rice dishes.

Cosmetic Uses

Calendula is a popular ingredient in toothpaste, shampoo and skincare products, according to the Interactive European Network for Industrial Crops and their Applications. The Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database currently lists 644 different products containing calendula, ranging from lip balms to skin toners to exfoliating scrubs. Calendula has been rated as a "low hazard" cosmetic ingredient by the The Environmental Working Group.

Medicinal Uses

Calendula has been used as a folk remedy by patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, according to the journal "Preventing Chronic Disease." The journal "BMC Cancer" published research in 2006 that attributed calendula extracts with tumor fighting properties in mice.
In 2009, researchers from the University of Freiberg published a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology entitled "Determination of the wound healing effect of Calendula extracts using the scratch assay with 3T3 fibroblasts." This study found that calendula extracts stimulated the activity of fibroblasts, which are cells that synthesize collagen and promote wound healing.

Industrial Uses

A fatty acid called calendic acid, which is found in the seeds of calendula, has a wide variety of uses in the manufacture of plastic, paint and varnish. It has been used as a replacement for tung oil, which is an ingredient in quick drying paints. Calendic acid's use as a drying agent in oil based paints is currently of interest to industrial researchers who see its potential as a replacement for environmentally harmful ingredients currently in use.