Calendula (Calendula officinalis) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Calendula officinalis
Family: Asteraceae
Part used: Flower
Taste: Bitter, Salty
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Moist

On temperature, Gerard (1633) and Salmon (1710) read it as warm. The app keeps cool, the modern reading of what the herb does in the body; the old readings are shown here but do not change it. On moisture, Salmon (1710) reads it as neutral. The app keeps moist, the modern reading of what the herb does in the body; the old readings are shown here but do not change it.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Topical use considered safe; internal use limited data

While breastfeeding

Generally regarded as compatible with breastfeeding; topical use safe. Asteraceae allergy in infant is the main caution.

For children

Topical use safe; internal therapeutic doses avoid under 12

Cautions

Avoid internal use during pregnancy (emmenagogue); Asteraceae allergy caution

General contraindications

Avoid internal use (emmenagogue)

Stewardship

Calendula is an easy garden annual; among the most sustainable medicinal flowers. Direct-seed, hand-harvest petals through summer. Stewardship: a good teaching plant for first-year herbalists; consider grower's market sales as kingdom economics.

In the traditional record

Calendula — referenced in medieval monastery gardens; used by Hildegard von Bingen (12th century) for fever and inflammation

Which herbs suit your body?

The same herb can calm one person and wire another. Our free assessment reads your pattern across temperature, moisture and tone, then matches herbs to it.

Take the free assessment Open Calendula in the Apothecary

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.