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Photo credits and licenses
Real photographs from naturalists and photographers worldwide, each used under its own license. Credit: Photo by Daniel Hartwig from Des Moines, IA, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY), Photo by Robbie Sproule from Montreal, Canada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY), Photo by Hector Gabriel / Wikimedia Commons (CC0), Photo by EyeTrick / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY) and Photo by S A, The Green Ark- Bostanie / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY). How photos are sourced →
Calendula
Calendula
Calendula blooms from May through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Calendula
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 20 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Calendula
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Calendula into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Calendula get?
20 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Calendula in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Calendula
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Calendula about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Calendula to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Calendula's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 13 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASFP087height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society (Calendula officinalis)height, spread, sun and trait tags
- extension.unh.eduUniversity of New Hampshire Extensionheight, sun and trait tags
- Fine Gardeningplant databaseheight, spread and sun
- Swallowtail Garden Seedshardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Utah State University Extensionheight, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society (Calendula genus page)sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureWisconsin Horticulturesun and trait tags
- Johnny's Selected Seedstrait tags
- Penn State Extensiontrait tags
- University of Georgia ExtensionB954height
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 4 varieties across 2 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Calendula group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot | Orange | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Calendulathis page | Orange | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Indian Prince | Orange | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 24 in × 16 in |
| Ivory Princess | Yellow | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
| Yellow | Yellow | May–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Calendula
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
A peer-reviewed study found bees visited calendula most often among the flowers tested, drawn by its high pollen and nectar reward per flower. per PMC
Summer bloom depends on climate
In cool-summer regions it flowers spring to fall frost. Where summers are hot it flushes in spring, lulls in heat, and reblooms in fall. per Wisconsin and Missouri Botanical Garden
Edible petals, pet-safe
Its flower petals are edible, with a bitter, peppery, tangy flavor, and it is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs. Use only unsprayed flowers. per ASPCA and NC State
Not a true marigold
Despite the shared name, pot marigold is Calendula, a different genus from true marigolds (Tagetes). Check the botanical name before eating petals or judging pet safety. per Wisconsin and Illinois
Deadhead to keep blooming
Remove spent flowers regularly and it blooms harder and longer. Leave the last flush to ripen and it self-sows, often returning from volunteers next year. per NC State and Wisconsin
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone, put off by its aromatic foliage. Resistance is not immunity: very hungry animals may still sample it. per NC State and UF/IFAS
What pairs well with Calendula
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Serviceberry
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its white flowers settle the orange.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.