Calendula, Calendula Officinalis

Calendula

Calendula off.

warm, dry, tonifying

Taste: bitter, pungent, salty, sweet

Family: Asteraceae

Medicinal part: flowers

Actions: draining, lymphatic, alterative, diaphoretic, vulnerary, antimicrobial

Affinities: lymphatic system

Notable constituents: volatiles, triterpenes, bitter glycosides, sterols, flavonoids,

carotenoids, resins, mucilage (to 1.5%)

Medicinal applications

• Calendula is a vulnerary herb that accelerates wound healing by stimulating cell repair. It is suitable for external and internal applications, prompting growth in epithelial and endothelial cells. 

  • Calendula is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, these properties are helpful topically for treating burns, bruises, skin infections and rashes. Calendula is gentle and effective, it is a great choice for working with the elderly, children and babies. It is a common ingredient in ointments for treating cradle rash and diaper rash. Calendula’s antiseptic properties help fight pathogens and keep fungal infections at bay, while its anti-inflammatory properties soothe irritated and inflamed skin. 

  • Calendula can be worked with for internal wounds, such as ulcers and abrasions in the digestive system. Calendulas anti-inflammatory properties are supportive for treating the gastrointestinal tract and soothing an irritated and inflamed stomach. 

• Calendulas is well known for its impact on the lymphatic system, draining fluids and cleansing congested states. Calendula's lymphatic cleansing properties are most prominent in the stomach, making it suitable for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, especially for swollen glands that are stagnant and have excess fluid. 

• Calendula is an effective antifungal. As a tincture it can be helpful for treatment of thrush, sinus infections and ear infections.

• Calendula is helpful diaphoretic, promoting sweating. This makes calendula supportive for treating fevers. 

• Calendula promotes movement and helps support stagnant states, consider adding calendula alongside a treatment plan for depression.

• Calendula has hepatoprotective properties. It is gentle and effective, consider working with calendale for promoting the healthy liver function. 

In practice

• Calendula is an effective medicine for a variety of topical applications. Consider making calendula into a salve or lotion for your first aid kit. Work with calendula for burns, wounds, fungal infections and rashes. I made my own calendula salve last christmas and I found it to be very effective for chapped lips that are splitting, it healed quickly and made a major difference over the harsh canadian winter.  

• Gastroprotective calendula can be worked with as a tea for irritated and inflamed stomach complaints. Try adding calendula to your blend of gut healing herbs for relief from bloated, congested states and internal wounds such as ulcers. 

• To treat a sinus infection with calendula, try using a tincture. Take about a tablespoon of tincture and hold it in your mouth. It's important to note that this remedy is helpful for fungal sinus infections, you can recognize a fungal sinus infection starting with symptoms of itchiness on the roof of your mouth. Calendula tea and steams can also be supportive when working with a sinus infection.

• Calendula flowers are edible, consider adding them as an ingredient in your favorite recipes! Calendula flowers are a good addition to salads, soups and stews.   

Cautions:

Calendula is a safe herb for everyone, from children to elders.

Friends:

plantain, catnip, chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, fennel, boneset

This is for research purposes and should not be taken as medical advice.

Cited works 

Colombo E, Sangiovanni E, D'Ambrosio M, Bosisio E, Ciocarlan A, Fumagalli M, Guerriero A, Harghel P, Dell'Agli M. A Bio-Guided Fractionation to Assess the Inhibitory Activity of Calendula officinalis L. on the NF-κB Driven Transcription in Human Gastric Epithelial Cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:727342. doi: 10.1155/2015/727342. Epub 2015 Sep 28. PMID: 26491463; PMCID: PMC4600869.

Hoffmann, David. The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism. Healing Arts Press, 1998. 

Gazim ZC, Rezende CM, Fraga SR, Svidzinski TI, Cortez DA. Antifungal activity of the essential oil from Calendula officinalis L. (asteraceae) growing in Brazil. Braz J Microbiol. 2008 Jan;39(1):61-3. doi: 10.1590/S1517-838220080001000015. Epub 2008 Mar 1. PMID: 24031180; PMCID: PMC3768360.

Gladstar, Rosemary. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide. Storey Publishing, LLC, 2012. 

Shahane K, Kshirsagar M, Tambe S, Jain D, Rout S, Ferreira MKM, Mali S, Amin P, Srivastav PP, Cruz J, Lima RR. An Updated Review on the Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential of Calendula officinalis L. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Apr 18;16(4):611. doi: 10.3390/ph16040611. PMID: 37111369; PMCID: PMC10142266.

Swift, Katja, and Ryn Midura. “Calendula -Calendula Officinalis” Family Herbalist Course.https://online.commonwealthherbs.com/courses/take/materia-medica/lessons/2377339-calendula-calendula-officinalis Accessed 14 April. 2025. 

Swift, Katja, and Ryn Midura. “Calendula - Materia Medica Entry Text.” Accessed 14 April. 2025.