Calendula: Make a superb skin healer from this backyard plant

May 18, 1:38 PMSF Backyard Herbal Projects ExaminerLisa Ludwigsen

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Calendula grows year-round in the Bay Area.

Look closely at the spring or fall landscaping in your local strip mall and you may find one of our most valuable medicinal plants — the common yet remarkably useful Calendula (Calendula Officinalis).

This bright and cheery member of the marigold family has been used for centuries to treat everything from colds and fevers to smallpox and measles. Today calendula is frequently used in expensive cosmetics, baby ointments and over-the-counter treatments for all types of skin irritations, including insect bites, burns, eczema and everyday cuts and scrapes. It is gentle, soothing and extremely effective.

But how do we get the healing qualities of the plant into a useable form? In fact, Calendula is incredibly easy to grow, harvest and make into a simple infused oil.

To grow this wonderful plant:
Calendula likes cool weather and can bloom throughout the summer in cooler climates like the bay area. Warmer/hot climates can grow calendula in fall/winter/spring. Plant as seeds or starts. Follow planting instructions. Once established Calendua reseeds readily, giving you a no-effort garden flower and medicine. Only the common dark orange variety has medicinal properties, though Calendula has been hybridized into yellows, reds and even stripes.

Laying out a single layer of flowers on a screen to dry.

 

To Harvest:
Flowers can be picked or clipped. Lay the flower flat, in a single layer, on a screen or baking sheet lined with paper towels, in a well-ventilated area. Don’t dry them in the sun or they’ll become faded and less effective medicinally. Make sure the flowers are completely dry before storing in bag or jar in a cool, dark place. Each plant produces up to ¼ pound of dried flowers.

Making an Infused Oil:
Calendula infused oil makes an excellent treatment for burns (including sunburn), cuts, abrasions and rashes. To make infused oil, chop dried calendula flowers and place in a jar. Cover with oil (olive, almond, or apricot kernal oils work well) and let sit for 7-10 days in a warm place. You can also heat the oil/plant mixture over low heat til it reaches 160*, cool and let sit for 24-48 hours. Strain well and compost the plant material. Store the oil in a cool, dark place.

To use, simple rub a small amount of infused oil on affected areas 1-3 times/day until healed.

Other uses:
Place fresh or dried flowers in salads or add to a bath.

As with all plants, use caution when using, make sure you have the correct plant before consuming and consult with a trained herbalist or reliable text (of which there are many).