Calendula officinalis

CALENDULA officinalis
English or Pot Marigold

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Type:
Annual

Height: 6-12" (15-30cm)

Flowering Time: Summer

Flower Colour: Orange, yellow

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Botanical Classification:

Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)

Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)

Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder)

Order: Asterales (Daisy Order)

Family: Asteraceae (Daisy Family)

Genus: Calendula (Calendula)

Species: officinalis (useful)

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Calendula officinalis is a very familiar plant, as it is one of the easiest annuals to grow and is often grown by children. Plants have strong, coarse stems and coarse aromatic leaves, topped by a large and conspicuous daisy-type flower in shades of bright yellow and orange in summer and autumn. Hybrids can have double or single flowers, darker centres, or petals tipped with another colour.
Calendula officinalis is a tough plant, and grows in most conditions, performing well in sun and dry soil or semi-shaded borders and rainy gardens. The tips should be pinched out to encourage bushiness.
It makes a useful cut flower, and can be used in cooking or for herbal remedies (the 'officinalis' part of the name means it was used by early apothecaries).
Calendula self-seeds very easily.
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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

Germination:
Spring
Inside (8 days)
Outside (9 days)

Seed Pod There is no seedpod. The seeds are held on a rounded seedhead, curled inwards
like a cat's claws.
Seed The seeds are light brown, very variable, curved or bent, spiky and woody.
There are many seeds in a seedpod.
Seedling The seedling is quite tough, with fleshy rounded leaves.

(You can check the meaning of any technical terms new to you in the Botany section of the site)

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				Germination: Spring Inside (8 days) Outside (9 days)
Seed Pod There is no seedpod. The seeds are held on a rounded seedhead, curled inwards like a cat's claws. Seed The seeds are light brown, very variable, curved or bent, spiky and woody. There are many seeds in a seedpod. Seedling The seedling is quite tough, with fleshy rounded leaves.