Calendula. Did You Know…
[ kuh·lend·yuh·luh ]
Let’s talk about calendulas. Sweet, sweet calendulas. If you’ve never heard of them there’s 3 main things you should know; they’re beautiful, easy to grow, and natural healers.
As part of the Daisy family, Calendula is a perennial plant that most folks grow for their beautiful yellow & orange colors. They are a long-lasting bloom and can continue straight through the first freeze the following winter!
As I began to explore plants and herbs in healing salves, calendula popped up as a common ingredient in many I found interesting. If you missed my calendula, lavender, rose salve recipe, you can find that here. This recipe smells incredible and has some pretty great healing qualities for dry skin.
After doing my research on calendula, I was pretty shocked to learn all the incredible properties this flower possesses.
Did you know calendulas are:
1. Edible. Calendula flowers are edible raw in salads or dried and used as a seasoning.
2. Great for tea. Calendula petals are used in teas as the herbs anti fungal and antimicrobial properties help prevent infection and heal injuries to body tissues. Add a tablespoon of fresh or two teaspoons of dried flowers to a cup of boiling water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.
3. Soothing to the skin. Calendula leaves and flowers help treat all kinds of skin problems like acne, sunburn, rashes, cuts, wounds, cold sores and other irritations. Healing poultice, salves, and oils are used to treat these types of skin issues.
4. Stimulates anti-aging & collagen production. Using this plant in a homemade face cream is so much better than your typical commercial creams.
5. Relaxes muscles and can prevent spasms.
6. Aids in easing menstrual cramps. A calendula tea is great for relieving painful cramping and in some cases can help with hot flashes.
7. Improves oral health. Due to its powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, calendula can treat gingivitis, plaque, and oral cavities.
Not a bad plant to have around, right? There are so many recipes that use calendula and I love using the flowers in salves for dry and cracked skin. I hope after reading this little tid-bit, that you too are excited about calendula.
Peace & Love,
Nikki
Did you find this overview interesting?
Please leave me a comment below or share a calendula photo on Instagram @TheSunshineHustle.
