The article provides information on calendula officinalis. What beneficial properties does it have? Read about this in the article. It seems that the marigold (calendula) is originally a Russian flower. However, it came to us from Southern Europe, where it is found in the wild even now. Previously, marigolds were called saffron for the poor, because a dye was obtained from their flowers, which was used in cooking instead of the expensive dye from saffron anthers. Back in the XII century. the plant was recognized as medicinal. Its specific name and sounds - "calendula officinalis".
Unfortunately, in some people, calendula, when ingested, leads to allergies, but no one is prohibited from admiring its flowering.
Calendula officinalis grows up to 75 cm. The plant is unpretentious to heat, moisture and soil, light-loving. It has long been bred as a decorative one, and today a number of varieties with double inflorescences have been bred. Blooms from July until frost. Its flowers are single large baskets up to 8 cm in diameter. The marginal flowers are orange or yellow, ligulate, uterine, arranged in several rows (double, sometimes up to 15), internal - almost red, tubular, bisexual. The outer achenes with a long nose are crescent-shaped, the middle ones are arcuate.
What is a useful calendula medicinal
Calendula cleanses the body well, and the list of diseases that these tiny suns treat is huge. In particular, they exhibit anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Moreover, the double forms of flowers have even more pronounced medicinal properties than simple ones.
The inflorescence for harvesting is torn off by hand when about half of the reed flowers are revealed. This stimulates the emergence of new ones on the lateral shoots. Thus, during the season, you can carry out up to 20 harvests with an interval of 2-5 days. In addition to essential oils, calendula contains a pigment substance similar to carotene, a lot of vitamin C, and phytoncides. They are popularly known as urine and diaphoretic, cleansing, astringent, anti-inflammatory and disinfectant. In homeopathy, tincture and ointment have long been made from calendula flowers. They can be found in pharmacies, although they have appeared on sale relatively recently.
Inside, calendula flowers are good to use as a diuretic for diseases of the bladder (in the presence of stones and sand in it), scrofula and rickets, for coughs, for diseases of the stomach (ulcers and spasms), for the regulation of menstruation and as a means of delaying the pathological process in oncology. Flowers are also added to herbal tea mixtures.
Calendula is sown in early spring or before winter. An important feature of calendula is the ability of a plant to cleanse the soil, to favorably influence most of its neighboring plants with its secretion. Calendula is sown between the beds of potatoes, tomatoes, onions. It protects plants from nematodes, repels butterflies and many pests. A year before planting strawberries, to clear the soil, you can sow calendula and marigolds on the site.
Sometimes the number of seedlings is too large and the planting is too thick. In this case, the excess plants can be removed. Next to calendula, sowing it only in a small area, it is good to plant seedlings or sow some kind of culture. As the seedlings or seedlings grow, the calendula plants that interfere with them are pulled out or pruned with a flat cutter and left in the garden as mulch.
Both plant pollinators - bumblebees, bees, and entomophages - horsemen, hover beetles and others flock to the nectar of calendula flowers. Many beautiful butterflies also fly to the yellow-orange suns, and then it seems that a rainbow has descended on the beds.
