Marigold (Calendula officinalis) belongs to the composite plants and got its name because of the closed seed ring, the seeds are arranged you in a row like a ring.
Occurrence and cultivation of marigold
When the flower is illuminated by the sun, it has a very unique, but not unpleasant smell. Marigold should be in every garden, but it can also be found growing wild in dumps and cemeteries or, if no other way, at the dealer’s market. It is an annual plant and blooms from June to October. The petals are yellow, usually in a strong bright hue. The plant is somewhat sticky, the stem slightly hairy. When the flower is illuminated by the sun, it has its own, but not unpleasant smell. When prepared as an ointment with pork fat, this smell becomes quite pronounced.
Effect and application
It is impossible to imagine naturopathy without calendula. In a wide variety of applications, you can help yourself in a completely natural way – without risks and side effects – with the marigold. As a remedy, the dried flower heads are used in pharmacy. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and promotes wound healing as an external application. Internally, it is mainly used for stomach and intestinal disorders. So you can get tea infusions, ointments, tinctures and aqueous extracts in pharmacies and drugstores or make your own. It is not a problem to prepare a remedy from marigold yourself. For example, the calendula ointment, which is made with pork fat (original recipe), petroleum jelly or even other bases. This ointment is used for skin problems of any kind, such as bruises, skin abrasions or open wounds. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and promotes wound healing. For poultices with the Swedish herb, it is first applied to the skin, then the Swedish herb. To prepare the ointment with pork fat, 250 g of pure pork fat is heated, a heaping handful of marigolds (here leaves, flowers and also stems crushed) is added. It must foam once – now you can smell the smell of marigold very clearly – stir the whole thing vigorously and leave to cool overnight. The next day, the fat is heated again slightly, strained or pressed through a clean cloth and the obtained ointment is filled into sealable jars. In the past, marigold was also used for dyeing due to the strong color of its petals, so when applying it, be careful not to affect any clothing. Many cosmetic products also contain aqueous extracts of medicinal plants, especially calendula, such as shampoos, face creams etc. If you have time and possibility to cure yourself with the help of marigold, you should go for this plant, use the advice of natural healers and make your own ointment or tea, this is already the first step to healing. By the way, the marigold is also considered a barometer: If in the morning the flowers are open, a beautiful day is ahead, if the flower heads remain closed, it should rain.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention
For internal use as a tea, calendula is considered to help with stomach problems, here drink one cup in the morning and one in the evening. Helpful this tea is also for headaches and difficulty falling asleep, where it is said to help quickly. For menstrual and menopausal problems, a tea made from marigolds is also very helpful. The tea is also said to have a mild laxative effect. In many mixed herbal teas, calendula is also an ingredient. A heaped teaspoon of marigold flowers is poured over boiling water and left to steep for five to ten minutes. Calendula concentrated is obtained as a tincture, which you can buy ready, but also make yourself. To do this, use only the petals, put about half in a sealable jar and fill with a high-proof alcohol. This mixture should now stand in the sun for about 10 days, and then be filtered and stored as a tincture in a dark container. Preferably in the refrigerator.
