Calendula

Calendula

Family: AsteraceaeOrigin: Mediterranean region

Annual
Pollinator friendly

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Hazardous parts

Not yet checked.

Preparation

Not a food plant; no preparation guidance given.

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

not applicable

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

This plant poses no poisoning risk to dogs or cats, per ASPCA's Garden Marigold page.

Patent / trademark

not applicable

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Tagetes marigolds (French and African marigolds), an unrelated genus also called simply 'marigold'. To tell them apart: No independently confirmed visual cue; check the botanical name: Calendula (this entry, also called Pot Marigold) and Tagetes are different genera entirely.. 'Marigold' alone is ambiguous between the two; applying one genus's facts to the other would be a real species mismatch.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: 2a-11b (grown as a cool-season annual across nearly all US zones).
Water needs: good drainage preferred; tolerates moist soil
Mature size: 1-2 ft tall, 1-2 ft wide; mounding annual herb with sparsely branched, lax or erect stems.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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