Calendula

Calendula officialus

Pot Marigold

Uses: C, CO, CR, H, M, D

Parts Used: F, L

Culinary: Petals add delicate flavor & mock saffron color to rice, cheese & meat dishes; sprinkle over salads. Dried ground flower can be used as a substitute for saffron.

Cosmetic: An infusion of petals in the bath can be cleansing and astringent. An infusion of petals can be used as a lotion for oily skin. Petals can be used in creams or infused oils for dry skin. An infusion/tincture of petals can be used as a face wash/toner, may help with acne. Infusion of the leaves in the bath is said to be healing, particularly with thread or varicose veins.

Craft: For bouquets cut when flowers are 1/2 open. The spicy petals are used in Potpourri & sachets. The long lasting color of the dried flower is used in garlands.

Household: Petals make a pale yellow dye, use alum as the fixative for dying wool.

Medicinal: Make a tisane from the petals for indigestion or gall bladder problems. Oil has antiseptic properties. Dilute petal tincture in a compress for burns. A petal infusion/dilute tincture on compress for cuts & scrapes. Use petal infusion as wash/tisane; cream & ointment for Eczema. Make a compress from the flowers: apply to stings, bruises. Use a poultice for styes.

Notes: Dry petals in shade to prevent sticking; preserve whole flowers in salad vinegar.

Disclaimer: Rams Hill Farm only includes Medicinal & Cosmetic use as a reference. Rams Hill Farm does not claim any medical knowledge. Readers should consult their physician before using any herbs for medicinal purposes. They should research these herbs on their own for risks, dosages, concerns, etc., particularly if these are intended for any medicinal treatments.

Drying Herbs: Hang in warm, dark, well-ventilated area until herbs are crisp(about 2 weeks). Store in a cool, dark area away from heat. Crumble herbs only as needed to retain the best possible flavor. A screen may also be used to dry any leaves not on a stem. Alternatively, herbs may be left in the fridge for several weeks to dry, this helps to retain the best color and flavor. Microwaving may cause the herbs to loose flavor from the high heat.

Uses abbreviations: Culinary; COsmetic; CRaft; Household; Medicinal; Ornamental; Fragrance; Economic; everLasting; Dye plant; Butterfly, bird, bee plant; Native

Parts Used abbreviations: Bark, Flowers, FRuit, Leaves, Roots, Seeds

References:
Herbs	Geoffrey Burnie, Consultant Editor	Fog City Press
Herb Bible	McHoy, Peter & Pamela Westland
Kitchen Garden Planner	Trout, Darrel	Country Home Books
Potpourri Gardener	James, Theodore, Jr	Macmillian Publishing
Herb Society of America
Mountain Meadow Seeds
There may be others