The History and Traditional Use of Calendula

Few plants have accumulated as consistent a record of practical use across as many centuries and cultures as calendula. From medieval monastic gardens to 19th-century apothecaries, from Eastern European folk medicine to modern cosmetic manufacturing, Calendula officinalis appears repeatedly in the historical record as a plant people actually used — not just described.

This article traces that history: where calendula comes from, how it was used across different cultures and eras, and how those traditional applications have informed its current place in herbal practice.

Origins and Early Cultivation

Calendula officinalis is believed to originate from the Mediterranean basin and western Asia, where it grows as a wildflower in disturbed soils and along roadsides. Its cultivation in gardens spread across Europe during the medieval period, driven by the plant’s practical usefulness and remarkable ease of growth. By the 12th century, it appears in European botanical records; by the 13th and 14th centuries, it was a standard presence in monastery gardens maintained for medicinal and culinary purposes.

The name calendula is from the Latin calendae, referring to the first day of the month — a reflection of the plant’s long, consistent bloom period. In many climates, calendula flowers on or near the first of each month from spring through autumn, which may have given it a reputation for reliability that reinforced its cultivation.

Medieval and Renaissance Use

Medieval European herbalists — working primarily within the Galenic tradition of humoral medicine — classified calendula as warm and dry in character, making it theoretically suited to conditions associated with coldness and dampness. This theoretical framework dictated its early applications in European medicine, even as the practical experience of practitioners formed a parallel record of what the plant actually seemed useful for.

The 16th century brought the first major printed herbals in English, and calendula features prominently in all of them. John Gerard’s Herball (1597) describes pot marigold extensively, noting its culinary use and its role in salves and infusions. He records it as a standard remedy for complaints of the skin and digestive system, and as a culinary colorant for broths and puddings.

John Parkinson’s Theatrum Botanicum (1640) — the most comprehensive English herbal of its era — gives calendula extended treatment as both a garden plant and a medical herb. Parkinson notes its use in “conserves,” compresses, and infused preparations, and distinguishes between the wild form and cultivated varieties grown specifically for their larger, more vibrant flower heads.

The 18th and 19th Centuries: From Household Herb to Dispensary Standard

Throughout the 18th century, calendula remained a fixture of household medicine in rural Europe. Its cultivation was so widespread that it required no instruction — virtually every household garden in temperate Europe grew it. The dried flowers were a standard ingredient in home remedy preparations: salves for skin irritation, infusions for internal use, and poultices applied topically.

By the 19th century, calendula had entered formal pharmacopeias in several European countries. Mrs. M. Grieve’s A Modern Herbal (1931), drawing on centuries of accumulated practice, devotes significant space to calendula and notes its use in both topical and internal preparations, citing applications in skin conditions, fevers, and general wound care that had accumulated over hundreds of years of practice.

During the American Civil War, calendula flowers were reportedly used by field surgeons to treat wounds and as an antiseptic application — a claim repeated in several historical accounts of Civil War medicine. While the primary documentation for this is secondary rather than from first-person medical records, the claim is consistent with how the plant was used in European medicine of the same era.

Eastern European Botanical Tradition

Eastern Europe developed one of the richest traditions of calendula cultivation and use. Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Poland have long histories of cultivating medicinal herbs at scale, and calendula was among the primary crops. Eastern European folk medicine systems used calendula extensively in topical preparations, and this regional cultivation tradition is the foundation of most of the commercial dried calendula supply today.

The botanical agriculture tradition of these regions — careful varietal selection, hand harvesting at peak bloom, traditional drying methods — produced standards that persist in quality commercial cultivation. Growers in these regions have been selecting calendula varieties specifically for flower size, petal density, and carotenoid content for generations.

The 20th Century: From Folk Herb to Research Subject

The 20th century brought both a decline in household herbal practice (as pharmaceutical medicine became dominant) and, paradoxically, renewed scientific interest in calendula’s chemical composition and properties. Researchers identified the specific compounds in the flower — triterpenoids, flavonoids, and carotenoids — and began characterizing their properties in laboratory settings.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) eventually incorporated calendula into its community herbal monographs, providing a formal regulatory framework for traditional use claims in EU member states. This represented a formalization of the accumulated folk medicine record rather than new clinical evidence, but it gave the traditional use a recognized basis in European pharmaceutical regulation.

Calendula in Modern Practice

Today, calendula is one of the most widely used botanicals in commercial skincare manufacturing, appearing in creams, lotions, salves, and ointments from major cosmetic brands and small artisan producers alike. The cosmetic industry’s adoption of calendula has in some ways separated the ingredient from its herbal context — it is often used simply as a gentle botanical ingredient valued for its mild skin profile, without reference to its herbal history.

At the same time, traditional herbal practice continues to use calendula in the ways described in the historical record: infused oils, salves, teas, and topical preparations made from the whole dried flower. This continuity of practice over centuries — with essentially the same preparation methods described in 16th-century herbals still in use today — reflects the plant’s genuine practical utility.

Related Articles

• What Is Calendula? An Introduction to the Plant and Its Uses
• Calendula in Skincare: Traditional Uses
• How to Use Dried Calendula Flowers in Cooking
• Calendula vs. Marigold: Are They the Same?
• Is Calendula Safe? What You Should Know
• What to Look for When Buying Dried Calendula Flowers

Sources and References

• Parkinson J. Theatrum Botanicum. London. 1640.
• Gerard J. The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. London. 1597.
• Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. 1931. Reprinted Dover Publications, 1971.
• Rzeźnicka I, et al. “Calendula officinalis — A review of its traditional uses and phytochemical constituents.” Phytochemistry Reviews. 2021.
• European Medicines Agency. Community herbal monograph on Calendula officinalis L., flos. EMA/HMPC/679928/2013. 2009.
• Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. Wiley, 1996.

The content on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical or nutritional advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health.