Is calendula the same as the marigolds in my garden?

No. The bedding marigolds sold in most garden centres are Tagetes. The medicinal plant is the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis.

Can I take calendula internally, or is it only for skin?

It is used both ways in herbal tradition. The EU monograph covers only skin and mouth use, and the evidence for taking it by mouth is limited, so I regard internal use as traditional.

Can I drink calendula tea every day?

Daily tea is a gentle traditional habit. Long-term data are limited, and it is worth checking first if you take regular medicines or have a daisy-family allergy.

Is it safe in pregnancy?

Safety is not established, so it is not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Calendula: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It

Sarah Burt

Oct 14

6 min read

Calendula (Calendula officinalis), the pot marigold, is a golden-orange flower used for centuries in European herbal medicine, mainly on the skin and the lining of the mouth, and traditionally taken as a tea to support digestive comfort. Most of the research is on topical use, and the evidence for taking it by mouth is limited. It is one of the four herbs in the EarthWise Gut Ease tonic and also appears in MenoEase Night.

Bundle of Calendula tied with twine, resting on paper against a dark shelf.

What it is

Calendula is a hardy annual in the daisy family (Asteraceae), native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean and grown in gardens across the UK. The flower heads are the part used, and the plant carries on flowering for months, which is how it got its name: calendae is the Latin word for the first day of the month, and calendula seems to bloom nearly every month of the year.

It is not the same plant as the bedding marigolds sold at garden centres. Those are Tagetes species, a different genus. The medicinal pot marigold has softly petalled, orange or yellow flower heads and a faintly resinous scent.

In European herbal tradition calendula has been used for centuries on the skin, as a rinse for the mouth and throat, and as an infusion taken for the digestive tract. It was a cottage-garden staple, and the petals have also been used in cooking and as a natural colouring, which is why it is sometimes called "poor man's saffron".

A buyer's note worth reading. Look for deep orange, aromatic, slightly sticky flower heads. Pale, dusty petals have usually lost much of their resin. Whole flower heads tend to keep their character longer than loose petals, and a tincture made from fresh flowers keeps the most.

The active compounds

Calendula flowers contain triterpenoids (including the faradiol esters, which have attracted the most research interest), flavonoids such as quercetin and isorhamnetin glycosides, carotenoids (which give the flower its orange colour), a small amount of volatile oil, and polysaccharides.

The main proposed mechanism: soothing inflammatory signalling. In laboratory work, calendula extracts and their triterpene fractions have reduced inflammatory activity in cells. One study tested fractions of a calendula extract on human gastric epithelial cells (the cells that line the stomach) and looked at activity of NF-κB, a key switch in inflammatory signalling. This is cell work, and it has not been shown to happen in people who take calendula by mouth.

Other activity. Calendula shows antioxidant and mild antimicrobial activity in the laboratory, and it is regarded as a gentle astringent and soothing herb. These findings are preclinical.

How it is traditionally used

Calendula is a good example of a herb whose traditional use and EU monograph status differ. The EU herbal monograph (from the European Medicines Agency's herbal committee, HMPC) recognises calendula flower as a traditional herbal medicine for minor skin inflammation, such as sunburn, as an aid for minor wounds, and for minor inflammation of the mouth or throat. The routes it covers are the skin and the mouth: infusions used as a rinse or gargle, and liquid or ointment preparations applied to the skin.

Taking calendula by mouth as a tea or tincture to support digestion is a long-standing traditional use in Western herbal medicine, but it is not covered by that monograph, and I would not describe it as established. It sits in the traditional-use category, where herbalists value it as a gentle herb that pairs well with bitters and chamomile.

What the research shows

Calendula has a long record of traditional use and a modest clinical one, and nearly all of that clinical work is topical. Here is how it grades.

Evidence: skin and wounds (topical). A 2019 systematic review (Givol and colleagues, Wound Repair and Regeneration) covered 14 studies, 7 in animals and 7 clinical trials. It found some evidence of benefit, consistent with traditional use, but the human results were mixed. Calendula looked helpful in acute wounds and in two controlled trials in venous leg ulcers, while a trial in diabetic leg ulcers and one in burns found no benefit, and two trials in radiation dermatitis gave conflicting results. An earlier review (Leach, 2008) found six randomised trials, only one of good quality, and judged the evidence weak. Both asked for larger, better-designed trials.

Very early evidence: digestion and the gut (oral). A few good human trials of calendula taken by mouth for digestive comfort exist, and backed laboratory work, such as the gastric cell study above, and the long history of traditional use.

The honest caveat. Calendula is a safe-seeming, well-liked herb with a long tradition, and it is easy to say more about it than the evidence allows. For the skin the research is limited and mixed. For digestion it is traditional use and cell studies, with a long and well-like tradition, and my own experience and results back that. I think it deserves its place as a gentle supporting herb, and not as a lead one.

Sarah's clinical perspective

I use calendula as a gentle, soothing herb in formulas where the digestive tract is the focus. In Gut Ease it sits with artichoke, chamomile and centaury: the bitters stimulate digestive secretions, and calendula and chamomile are the softer herbs that round the formula out. It is also in MenoEase Night, alongside cleavers, dandelion root, burdock and golden rod.

It is a herb I am comfortable with for people who are sensitive or run-down, because it is so mild. The one group I watch carefully is anyone with an allergy to daisy-family plants, who should avoid it.

Practical guidance

Dose. There are no trial-tested oral doses to quote. The EU monograph's traditional-use preparation for the skin and mouth is an infusion of 1 to 2 g of dried flower heads in about 150 ml of water, used as a rinse, gargle or dressing two to four times a day. That is a topical preparation, and oral use in herbal practice varies. These are traditional amounts, not a dosing instruction for any particular product.

Format. Tea from whole dried flower heads is the simplest. A tincture is concentrated and easy to dose. Calendula oil and ointments are for the skin only.

Time to effect. The monograph advises seeing a practitioner if skin or mouth symptoms last longer than a week. For digestive use, herbalists usually allow a few weeks.

Timing. There is no consensus. As a digestive herb it is traditionally taken between or before meals.

What it does not replace. Calendula does not replace medical care for wounds that are slow to improve, signs of skin infection, or persistent digestive symptoms.

For how to take the EarthWise tonic specifically, the dose and full safety information are on the product page.

Common questions

Is calendula the same as the marigolds in my garden? No. The bedding marigolds sold in most garden centres are Tagetes. The medicinal plant is the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis.
Can I take calendula internally, or is it only for skin? It is used both ways in herbal tradition. The EU monograph covers only skin and mouth use, and the evidence for taking it by mouth is limited, so I regard internal use as traditional.
Can I drink calendula tea every day? Daily tea is a gentle traditional habit. Long-term data are limited, and it is worth checking first if you take regular medicines or have a daisy-family allergy.
Is it safe in pregnancy? Safety is not established, so it is not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Where calendula appears in the EarthWise range

Calendula is one of the four herbs in Gut Ease, Sarah's digestive formula, where it sits with Globe Artichoke, Chamomile and Centaury, herbs with a long history of traditional use for digestive support.

It also appears in MenoEase Day and Night, in the Night formula alongside Cleavers, Dandelion Root, Burdock and Golden Rod.

If you are not sure which formula fits, the EarthWise health quiz is the best place to start. Full safety information is on each product page.

When to seek professional support

Calendula is generally well tolerated, with skin sensitisation the main reported reaction. Check with a practitioner first in these situations:

Allergy to daisy-family plants. If you react to ragweed, chrysanthemums, chamomile or marigolds, avoid calendula or speak to your GP or practitioner first.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Safety has not been established, so it is not recommended.
Children. The EU monograph does not recommend skin use under 6 or mouth use under 12 because of a lack of experience.
Skin infection or wounds that are not improving. See your GP, and do not rely on a herb alone.
Persistent digestive symptoms. Ongoing pain, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss or changes in bowel habit need medical assessment first.

Sarah Burt is a registered naturopath, medical herbalist and iridologist with 25+ years of clinical experience. All EarthWise tonics are formulated by Sarah based on her clinical protocols.

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This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any health condition. Always consult a qualified health practitioner before making changes to your health regimen.