Calendula is a beautiful wild flower, very famous in Europe. It is a genus of about 15–20 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family Asteraceae that are often known as marigolds. The name Calendula is a modern Latin diminutive of calendae, meaning "little calendar", "little clock" or possibly "little weather-glass" which means the first day of the month, probably because calendula blooms in the early days of the month. The common name "marigold" refers to the Virgin Mary. It is widespread for its healing properties. Its flowers have an intense yellow or orange color. The flowering period is very long and lasts from February to October.
Some of her properties:
- The flowers are often used to add color to salads or added to dishes as a garnish.
- They also contain essential oils, vitamin C, calcium and significant amounts of silicon, the combination of which makes calendula one of the most important herbs for treating skin problems..
- Thus, it contributes to the strength of the skin and it is involved in the growth of hair and nails.
- Furthermore, it gives elasticity to the skin, combating stretch marks and wrinkles.
- Compresses of tea can improve the condition of wounds that are difficult to heal, infections, burns, abscesses, scars.
- Gargling with tea helps in case of stomatitis, pharyngitis or toothache.
- Plant extracts are also widely used by cosmetics, presumably due to presence of compounds such as saponins, resins, and essential oils.