Comments on: 7 Uses for Marigolds

By: Tomato Lady

Tomato Lady — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:21:51 +0000

Grace Thomas–Thank you. I have some calendula seeds and am eager to plant them and see if I can get them going. Can’t wait to try them in some recipes.

By: Grace Thomas

Grace Thomas — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:00:47 +0000

Good Morning. I was just reading over your uses for marigolds (calendula) and I wanted to make another suggestion. The dried petals can be added to your homemade soap recipes to help soften the skin. You can add just the petals but I have also heard of people seeping the petals and using the water. I guess it would depend on your preference. I just thought I would share.

By: Tomato Lady

Tomato Lady — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:32:32 +0000

Handful–Great information! I had a good book on edibles once but I can’t lay my hand on it. I remember something about eating cattail roots that sounded interesting. So much goes unnoticed beneath out feet. I can’t wait to try growing some calendula this Spring.

By: Handful

Handful — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:19:10 +0000

They are also known as the poor man’s saffron. It imparts the yellow color but not the flavor. (I have read…I wouldn’t know what saffron tastes like ’cause I’m a poor man!)

Thankyou for all the wonderful information. I love learning the different properties of flowers and herbs. Imagine my guests’ surprise when I served a salad topped with nasturiums and violets!

I also read:
Use calendula powder to soothe skin irritations. Sprinkle about a fourth of a cup of powder on the bottom of your tub and fill with warm water. Stir with your hand until water turns greenish-yellow.

Soak in the calendula bath to help soothe burns, bruises, and injured skin. Soak for no more than a half an hour at a time. Do not soak unclosed flesh wounds or wounds with stitches in them.

Add about a tablespoon of calendula powder to a half cup of water. Use this to rinse your face after washing to help eliminate acne and improve your complexion in general.

Use calendula powder tea to reduce fever and help eliminate colds. Wrap about an ounce of calendula powder in cheese cloth. Bring water to a boil in a tea kettle, remove from heat and add powder. Allow tea to steep for about eight minutes. Drink eight ounces daily, sweetened as desired.

NOT recommended for pregnant women or children. (No info on lactating.)

By: Vinaigrette Girl

Vinaigrette Girl — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:51:21 +0000

Calendula loves heat but needs moisture, too. If you plant the seeds *very* early in the spring – earlier than you think remotely reasonable – they’ll establish well before the drouth of summer hits!

Good luck, and thanks for the useful notes about Tagetes.

By: Don

Don — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:12:00 +0000

Wow that salad looks amazing!

By: Tomato Lady

Tomato Lady — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:26:32 +0000

Spinnerin–I would love to grow calendula. I tried growing it years ago with no success (too hot, I think). I may give it another go this spring.

By: Spinnerin

Spinnerin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:19:56 +0000

That is awesome, Tomato Lady! I’m glad to know that tagetes is used for what you said as well – I sit corrected! It’s nice to have it all out there, though; thanks for replying.

By: Tomato Lady

Tomato Lady — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:39:05 +0000

Spinnerin–I’m glad you brought this up. There’s a good bit of confusion between calendula and tagetes, both commonly called marigold. What I have here is tagetes. It’s known as a culinary (flavoring and coloring) agent, especially in Asia and Africa, and its dried and powdered petals are said to be preferred over calendula in the Republic of Georgia. Medicinally, it contains carotenoids, such as lutein, known for promoting eye health among other possible benefits. Dried marigold petal meal from tagetes marigolds is used as a feed additive in the poultry industry to amp up the yellow color of egg yolks and chicken skin. Really a versatile plant.

By: Spinnerin

Spinnerin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:08:01 +0000

I work at an organic rose/herb/veggie/native plant nursery, and, actually, I’m not sure how wise it is to feed chickens, goats, or humans the marigolds in your pictures, which appear to be French or African marigolds, in the genus Tagetes. The edible/medicinal/makes-chicken-yolks-yellower marigold is the calendula, or pot marigold, Calendula officianalis, which can be found in medieval cookery books. The Tagetes marigolds are used in Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexican culture, are often used as companion plants for nightshades and do have some food-related uses, including bug repellent, but I wouldn’t eat them, and there is no known benefit to the chickens if they do either.