Gardening Flowers Annuals Calendula By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 11, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Calendula Overview Description Bright and cheerful calendulas, also called pot marigolds, look right at home in a cottage garden, herb patch, or container. Plant this easy-going annual in early spring to enjoy its flowers, which resemble daisies or chrysanthemums, until the heat of summer sets in. In regions with moderate summers, expect calendula varieties to bloom even more abundantly in fall. Add the edible blossoms to soups and salads as a colorful garnish. Genus Name Calendula Common Name Calendula Plant Type Annual Light Part Sun, Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width 1 to 2 feet Flower Color Orange, Yellow Foliage Color Blue/Green Season Features Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance Zones 10, 11, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Seed Garden Plans For Calendula Best Planting Partners Grow calendula plants with other early-season bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Pansies, sweet alyssum, and stock stand out as easy-to-grow annuals to partner with pot marigold. Pretty perennial companions include cushion spurge, candytuft, bleeding heart, lady's mantle, and columbine. Find more beautiful fall annuals here. Calendula Care Must-Knows Plant them in average well-drained soil and full sun. Plants do best with a few hours of afternoon shade in hot climates. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date or sow seeds directly in the garden just before the last frost. Seedlings or purchased transplants can go in the ground after the last frost. Blanket the soil around young plants with a 2-inch- thick layer of mulch, then water well. Boost the Number of Blooms Calendula unfurls handfuls of flowers in regions with cool summer climates. Deadhead plants regularly to push this annual to produce even more blossoms. To promote compact, bushy growth, pinch back the long stems of young plants by half or more. Hot, dry summers cause this annual to languish and sometimes even die. Encourage growth through summer by watering plants regularly and cutting foliage back by half when your region experiences especially hot temperatures. Calendula will begin blooming again with gusto when temperatures cool down in early fall. Learn more about pruning here. More Varieties of Calendula Plant Calendula With: Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit