Calendula officinalis Calypso Series Orange/Dark Eye

LATIN NAME: CALENDULA OFFICINALIS

COMMON NAME: Calendula ‘Calypso Orange with Dark Eye’

The calypso marigold is a fine and modern form of the old pot marigold, and its bright, orange blooms with the dark, chocolate eyes have made it a favourite of the gardens of today. It grows as a compact, upright, well-branched annual of the daisy family, reaching up to half a metre or more, with upright, branching stems bearing alternate, oblong, softly hairy, pale-green leaves and, from the early summer into the autumn, many large, single, daisy-like flowers with the glowing, orange rays and the darker, chocolate-brown centres, followed by the curious, curved, ring-like seeds. It is a bred form of the flowering herb of the Mediterranean, developed by the breeders as a uniform, early, free-flowering series, while it is grown for its compact, uniform habit and its bright, dark-eyed blooms, and it is known as the calypso marigold.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The calypso marigold has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the horticulture and the plant breeding, since the calypso marigold is a fine example of the modern breeding of the pot marigold, and the researchers and the breeders have examined the breeding of the series, its uniform habit and its early, free-flowering bloom, while the development of the modern marigold series has drawn attention in the international horticultural press, and the study of the breeding of the garden annuals has been of continuing interest. The plant has also been studied in the chemistry of the flowers, since the glowing, orange petals of the marigold have a long history of use in the kitchen and the traditional ways, and the researchers have examined the petals and their constituents, while the traditional uses of the marigold have drawn attention in the international food and botanical press, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and a bright flower of the garden rather than a casual remedy. The species has also been studied in botany and ecology, since it is a member of the daisy family, and its relationships and its many forms have been examined, while the bright, dark-eyed flowers of the calypso marigold have been of interest to the botanists and the bees alike. For a plant of such bright value, the calypso marigold has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Calypso Marigold from seed, ecologically, the calypso marigold is a generous plant of the garden. Its many large, daisy-like flowers feed the bees and the many insects through the summer, and its curious, curved seeds feed the birds, while its compact, bushy growth gives a fine cover to the small creatures, and its bright, dark-eyed bloom has made it a favourite of the beds and the containers. Its economic value is real: the calypso marigold is prized for its compact, uniform habit and its early, free-flowering bloom, and its value has drawn attention in the international horticultural press, while the breeding of the series has made it a fine friend of the beds, the borders and the pots of the modern garden. To raise the calypso marigold, sow the seeds into pots of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny, warm place, keep them lightly watered, and grow the little plants on in the sun.

sow the seeds into pots of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny, warm place, keep the young calypso marigolds lightly watered, and grow the little plants on in the sun.

LATIN NAME: Calendula officinalis

COMMON NAME: Pot Marigold, Common Marigold, Marys Gold, Scotch Marigold

The pot marigold is a bright and generous flower of the summer garden, and its cheerful, golden-orange blooms have coloured the borders and the cottage gardens of Europe for many centuries. It grows as an annual or short-lived perennial of the daisy family, reaching up to sixty centimetres, with an upright, branching stem bearing oval, aromatic, green leaves and, through the summer and the early autumn, the many bright, golden-orange or yellow, daisy-like flower heads with their darker centres, borne in profusion and remaining in bloom for a very long season, followed by the small, curved, dry seeds. It is a species of the daisy family, probably native to the southern Europe, but its long history of cultivation makes its precise origin unknown, and it is widely naturalised, while it is known as the pot marigold, the common marigold, the Marys gold or the Scotch marigold, and it is a beloved flower of the garden.

The pot marigold belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae, and it is a flowering plant, probably native to the southern Europe, but its long history of cultivation makes its precise origin unknown, and it is widely naturalised. It is known as the pot marigold, the common marigold, the Marys gold, the Scotch marigold or the ruddles, and the florets are edible, while it is prized for its bright, cheerful bloom.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The pot marigold has a genuine and distinguished place in both horticultural and chemical research. It has been studied in the horticulture, since it is a bright and generous flower of the border and the cottage garden, prized for its cheerful bloom, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its many cultivars and its value in the garden, while its long season of bloom and its ease have made it a beloved flower of the garden, and the bright, golden-orange blooms of the plant have drawn attention in the international gardening press as a cheerful flower of the summer. The plant has also been studied in the chemistry of the natural products and in the cosmetics, since the florets contain a range of the beneficial compounds and the colouring, and researchers have examined the content of the flowers, their compounds and their uses, while the petals have been used in the colouring of the foods and the preparation of the soothing creams and the teas, and the chemistry of the marigold has drawn attention in the international natural-product and cosmetic press. The species has also been studied in the botany, since it is a member of the daisy family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a flower of such brightness and such use, the pot marigold has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the pot marigold is a generous flower of the summer garden. Its bright blooms feed the bees, the hoverflies and the insects, and its leafy growth gives cover, while it is a cheerful presence in the borders, the meadows and the waysides of Europe and beyond.

Its economic value is real and historic. The petals are edible and have been used in the colouring of the foods and the preparation of the soothing creams and the teas, and the chemistry of the marigold has drawn attention in the international natural-product and cosmetic press, while it is also a beloved flower of the garden, prized for its long season of bloom. For a grower, the pot marigold is an easy and generous flower, and for a gardener it brings bright, golden-orange bloom through a very long season. The seeds are quick and easy — press them onto the surface of moist, free-draining soil in a sunny spot, since they like a little light, keep them gently watered, and theyll be sprouting within a week or two, growing on into a bright, generous-flowered plant.

Hot Orange with black eye, first with contrasting bold dark eye, eye-grabber in 4" pots, compact plant, large flower

Uses: Culinary/Medicinal/Beverage/Aromatic

This neat compact variety

have potent healing properties. are believed to be most responsible for calendula anti-inflammatory activity, and manufacturers now emphasize the importance of in their skin creams and ointments.