Few garden flowers are as instantly familiar as the marigold. Their orange and yellow heads catch the eye, their scent marks a place, and across cultures these flowers have been pressed into ceremonial, medicinal, culinary, and practical use.

But “marigold” is a common name that points to two different plant stories: the Tagetes marigolds of the Americas and the pot marigold, Calendula, that became a European herbal mainstay. Both sit in the daisy family (Asteraceae), but they bring different chemistries and different cultural roles.

Below I unpack both threads: who these plants are, what’s in them, how people have used them, and how you might work with them safely.

Two marigolds: Tagetes vs. Calendula

When people say “marigold” they usually mean one of two things.

• Tagetes — the New World marigolds (Tagetes erecta, T. patula, T. lucida, T. minuta, etc.). These are the bright orange, pungent-scented marigolds commonly used in large quantities at festivals in Mexico and widely planted in gardens worldwide. They were domesticated in the Americas and later spread across the globe.

• Calendula (Calendula officinalis), often called pot marigold, is an Old World medicinal and kitchen flower. It has been cultivated in Mediterranean and South Asian herb gardens for centuries and features in traditional European and Middle Eastern materia medica. Calendula petals tend to be softer in fragrance and prized for topical herbal preparations and cosmetic extracts.

Knowing which plant you mean matters, because their traditional uses and active chemistry differ.

Botanical and chemical profile — what makes each plant “work”

Calendula officinalis: the pot marigold

Calendula petals are rich in carotenoids (lutein and related xanthophyll esters), triterpenoid esters and saponins, flavonol glycosides, and polysaccharides. These lipophilic pigments give the flowers their intense yellow–orange color and contribute antioxidant and skin-soothing activity used in salves, wound creams, and cosmetic formulations. Modern analyses identify many individual carotenoids in calendula petals, with lutein derivatives among the major constituents.

Tagetes species: the New World marigolds

Tagetes flowers and roots produce a different chemical profile: essential oils rich in monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, carotenoids in the petals, and sulfur-containing polyacetylenes called thiophenes (notably α-terthienyl) concentrated in roots and flowers. Those thiophenes are biologically active — nematicidal, insecticidal, and antifungal — which explains Tagetes’ long use as a companion plant and soil protector. Essential oils from leaves and flowers contain compounds such as tagetone and ocimene, which also contribute to biological activity and aroma.

In My Botanica

I love the medicine of both these flowers, but for very different uses. In my natural perfumes and anointing oils, I most often use tagetes — it’s fruity fragrance enhances blends with an undefinable note. This is also the variety I use to make my Marigold Hydrosol.

I use calendula to infuse into oils and teas.

Both are lovely to make plant pigments with!

Marigold Hydrosol

$18.00

Cultural lives of the marigold

Mexico and Mesoamerica — cempasúchil and the dead

Tagetes erecta (cempasúchil, often called the Aztec or Mexican marigold) has a deep history in central Mexico. The Aztecs used the flowers in ritual, in offerings, and as dye and medicine. Today cempasúchil is inseparable from Día de los Muertos altars and processions: its bright color and pungent scent are thought to guide and welcome ancestral spirits back to the home of the living. Large quantities of marigolds are laid on graves and woven into ofrendas.

South Asia — garlands, festivals, and weddings

Marigolds (mostly Tagetes species, introduced in the early modern period) are ubiquitous in Hindu ritual and South Asian celebrations. Strung into long garlands, they are offered at temples, used to decorate homes during festivals like Diwali, and carried in wedding processions. The flowers symbolize brightness, auspiciousness, and a life force that links offerings to the divine.

Europe and the Mediterranean — calendula as healer and dye

Calendula shows up throughout classical and medieval herbal texts for wound care, eye washes, skin salves, and as a culinary garnish or textile dye. European apothecaries prized the petals for anti-inflammatory and vulnerary preparations; today calendula extracts still appear in wound-care and cosmetic products for their soothing and reparative properties.

Gardens and farms — companion, dye, food, and pest control

Farmers and gardeners value Tagetes for more than ornament. Planted as a companion crop, marigolds help suppress certain nematodes and soil pathogens — a practical use that follows from the plant’s thiophene chemistry. Some Tagetes and Calendula cultivars are edible: petals add color to salads and can act as a saffron or dye substitute in rice and sweets. Tagetes lucida and T. tenuifolia are used as culinary herbs in some regional cuisines.

Medicine, magic, and modern uses

Medicinally, calendula is most commonly used topically: infused oil, salves, and creams for minor wounds, dermatitis, and inflammation. Laboratory and clinical work supports calendula’s anti-inflammatory and wound-healing potential, mostly tied to its carotenoids, triterpenoids, and polysaccharides. Tagetes species have a record of traditional use for digestive complaints, fever, and external applications; their root and leaf extracts are studied for antimicrobial and antiparasitic activity.

Magically and symbolically, marigold often represents the sun, life force, protection, and remembrance. In folk practice across regions the flower is used in protective bundles, funeral rites, and offerings. Because of their bright hue and longevity, marigolds frequently stand in rituals that mark thresholds between life and death, or that ask for resilience and abundance.

How to use marigold in your home practice and kitchen

Infused oil and salve with calendula petals — a classic for skin care: slowly macerate dried petals in olive or sunflower oil for several weeks or use low heat, then strain and whip into a salve with beeswax.

Marigold rice or dye — steep petals (Tagetes or calendula) in hot water or simmer briefly to release color for rice, butter, or baked goods as an edible dye. Use edible cultivars and be mindful of flavor. I’ve heard it called poorman’s saffron ;)

Garden ally — plant Tagetes as a companion in vegetable beds to help deter some soil pests and attract pollinators; harvest flowers before heavy rainfall to preserve potency. I always plant by tomatoes.

Cautions and contraindications

Don’t assume all marigolds are edible — identify the species and cultivar. Some Tagetes are bitter and can upset digestion in large amounts. Calendula oral use is generally discouraged in pregnancy; many sources advise avoiding internal use of calendula during pregnancy because of potential uterine effects. Topical use is common, but consult a medical provider if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or allergic to Asteraceae (daisy family) plants. For Tagetes, food amounts are usually safe, but medicinal dosing lacks robust safety data.

Tagetes essential oil is potent and must be used with care. It can be phototoxic or irritating; never apply concentrated oils undiluted to skin and treat essential oils with the usual aromatic safety protocols.

Closing

Marigolds are both practical and ceremonial: dyes and salves, altar flowers and companion plants. Calendula and Tagetes occupy overlapping but distinct cultural and botanical territories — each brings a rich tradition, useful chemistry, and specific applications. Whether you braid cempasúchil for an ofrenda, infuse calendula into a healing salve, or plant Tagetes along a tomato row, you are working with a plant that has served people’s bodies and rituals for centuries.

If you would like to explore plant medicines and aromatic craft more deeply, join the waitlist for Nectar & Alchemy: The School of Sacred Aromatics.

Current classes include Angel Anointing, Becoming a Myrrhophore, and more — and I’ll be sharing a foundational anointing oil class in January 2026!

Selected sources used above: PLoS/PMC review on Tagetes chemistry and thiophenes; Kew plant profile on Mexican marigold; ACS study and recent reviews on calendula carotenoids and phytochemistry; UF/IFAS and extension literature on nematode suppression; medical summaries on calendula safety (WebMD, Drugs.com).

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