06/05/2017
Calendula officinalis is one of the easiest-to-grow medicinal herbs and so versatile in its healing properties that it invariably finds its way into the hearts and gardens of all herb lovers. Calendula’s name derives from the Latin Calendae, referring to its long-blooming season – in certain locales it is said to bloom in nearly every month of the calendar. The species name, officinalis, refers to its historical use in apothecaries and pharmacopeias as the official medicinal species of the genus.
Calendula is one of the primary herbs I recommend for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), along with licorice, slippery elm and meadowsweet. I also find it helpful in healing peptic ulcers; it can be taken concurrently with antibiotic therapy, and then continued for two weeks after finishing treatment. Calendula is often combined with the aforementioned herbs to promote the healing of gastric and duodenal mucosa. I always keep calendula oil stocked in my fridge and will also combine it with plantain, chickweed, saint john’s wort, and violet in salve form. When my daughter had chicken pox I made a fresh poultice from calendula mixed with other herbs (recipe in article) and applied it daily. She had quite the outbreak and doesn’t even have one scar, thanks to this herbal poultice.
The resin that coats the green bracts is highly medicinal: anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and wound healing. Thus, the "petals" (without the green bracts) are a weaker medicine than the whole flowers.
Read my full article on calendula: http://blog.chestnutherbs.com/calendula-sunshine-incarnate-an-edible-and-medicinal-flower
And, if you're ready to dive more deeply into plant medicine, join us in our Online Herbal Immersion—it will mentor you in all of our favorite aspects of DIY herbalism: medicine making, herb gardening, wild weeds foraging, and much, much more. For all the details: www.chestnutherbs.com/immersion
Photo © Juliet Blankespoor