Calendula Officinalis

This is the true wild form of this lovely, ancient cottage garden flower. A fast growing annual or biennial, it has aromatic leaves and heads of vivid-orange daisy-like flowers which are borne in long and seemingly everlasting succession in the summer and autumn until the first hard frosts. The daisy-like flowers are excellent for cutting and can also be added to salads as an edible flower. They can even be used as a substitute for saffron when colouring rice dishes, and also can be made into tea. Finally, they are very bee-friendly!