Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, calendula is a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing calendula.
Jump to:
Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Does Calendula Belong To?
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) belongs to the Asteraceae family, also known as the daisy family.
Some of its relatives include chamomile, lettuce, and sunflowers.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Calendula?
The minimum container depth recommended for calendula is 6 inches.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Calendula?
Some of calendula's best companions are as follows:
- Peppers like bell pepper and jalapeño
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Squash
- Potato
- Rose
- Broccoli, cauliflower, and other Brassicas
- Fennel
- Sage
- Gaillardia
Calendula is deer-resistant and attracts beneficial insects. Many gardeners plant it along the edges of their beds for these reasons.
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Calendula?
Calendula gets along with most plants. It is versatile and not a heavy feeder.
What Soil Conditions Does Calendula Need?
Calendula prefers well-draining, nutrient-rich soil.
Although these are its preferences, it can tolerate poor soil. But it will not grow as quickly in poor soil, and the quality of the flowers and leaves produced will not be as high as those of calendula grown in nutrient-rich soil.
How Long Does Calendula Take to Germinate?
Calendula takes 7-15 days to germinate at a temperature of 55-70°F.
It may germinate in temperatures between 40-55°F as well. But it will take longer than 7-15 days, and germination will be less consistent.
How Much Sun Does Calendula Need?
Calendula can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, it grows fastest in full sun. It will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Calendula grown in shade will produce fewer flowers than if it was grown in full sun.
Calendula leaf production may be only slightly less in shade than in full sun. However, the plant will be more susceptible to disease and pests since it takes longer to grow in the shade.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, climate, and variety.
How Much Water Does Calendula Need?
Calendula needs 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week during hot weather.
During weather that is not hot, it will not need as much water. During these times, pay special attention to the soil moisture level.
Although mature calendula is somewhat drought-tolerant, it grows best when its soil is evenly moist -- neither dry nor waterlogged.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Calendula?
Calendula grows fastest in temperatures of 50-85°F.
This is its ideal temperature range. Although it will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, the growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety.
How Tall Does Calendula Get?
The average height of calendula is 1-2 feet.
Is Calendula Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Calendula is a perennial, meaning that it lives for longer than a couple years, in Hardiness Zones 9 and above or when brought inside for the winter.
When grown outside in Zones 8 and below, calendula is annual, meaning that it starts and ends its life in the same year.
Most calendula varieties are hardy to 25°F, which is where the recommendation for Zones 9+ comes from for perennial growing. However, this can be avoided in Zone 7-8 regions that rarely fall below 25°F by either bringing the calendula inside (if growing it in a container) or covering it with plastic or other insulating materials (if growing in the ground or somewhere else that cannot be moved) on the coldest nights of the year.
Learn more in the What is a USDA Hardiness Zone? article here.
How Does Calendula Reproduce?
Calendula reproduces by seed.
How Much Calendula is Produced Per Plant?
For calendula, how much is produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the variety and growing conditions such as in the sun-to-shade comparison mentioned above. It also depends on the length of your growing season.
Calendula produces 1 flower head per stem. These can be harvested immediately and typically regrow in about 2 weeks.
Can Calendula Be Ingested?
Calendula flowers and leaves are edible.
Calendula flowers have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and vulnerary properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea and tinctures. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:5 at 60% alcohol is suggested for a calendula flower tincture.
Calendula leaves have antimicrobial and carminative properties. Although not as widely studied as the flowers, they can be used in herbal preparations in addition to their culinary uses.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting calendula.
If using calendula externally on a wound, be sure the wound is fully cleaned before use. Calendula is such an effective vulnerary that it can heal the skin rapidly and seal infection inside if the wound is not properly cleaned first.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of calendula rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for calendula here!
Calendula is featured in these Plant to Plate articles:
- Simple Uses for Calendula
- Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden
- Gardening in Full Sun
- Gardening in Dappled Shade
- Gardening in Part Shade