Leaf
Joydeep, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pot marigold
Calendula officinalis L.
Also known as: Common marigold, Scotch marigold, Calendula
Family: Asteraceae
30 to 60 cm tall
Grown in borders and vegetable gardens, also naturalised on waste ground
Flowering: May – November, very long flowering
Full sun
Fairly hardy, withstands light frosts, often self-sows from one year to the next
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The pot marigold owes its name to its exceptionally long flowering: its flowers open almost from spring until the first frosts, one of the most lasting displays in the garden.
🍃 Leaves
Oblong, slightly hairy, entire, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Orange to bright yellow flower head, with many ray florets
🍎 Fruits
Characteristic curved achene, shaped like a spiny crescent
🪵 Bark
Hairy, branched herbaceous stem
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the Mediterranean basin; widely grown and sometimes naturalised throughout France
🐝 Value for pollinators
Very long, nectar-yielding flowering, an important resource for bees from spring to autumn
✂️ Horticultural uses
Annual plant for borders and the vegetable garden, with recognised healing properties, edible flowers used in cooking and cosmetics
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Flowers edible and used in herbal medicine; no notable known toxicity
🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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