The history of calendula, also known as pot marigold, is filled with poetry and symbolism. At dawn the blossom opens, and rises with the sun, creating a poetic image of the “awakening” of a flower. Its golden orange colour brightens the day until sunset when the flower closes for the evening. Calendula’s luminous blooms and sensitivity to the sun have earned it the moniker “herbal sunshine,” vying with sunflower in literary popularity. Perhaps the most exquisite poetic reference to calendula is from one of England’s finest poets, John Keats, whose verse is known for its vivid imagery and sensuous appeal. In his poem “I stood tiptoe upon a little hill” (London 1817) the author keenly describes calendula (which he refers to as marigold) beginning with:

I stood tip-toe upon a little hill,

The air was cooling, and so very still,…

I was light-hearted, And many pleasures to my vision started;…

Open afresh your round of starry folds, Ye ardent marigolds!”

On a hot day the sun pulls the medicinal resins up into the calendula flowers making them very sticky. Keats refers to this in the next line:

Dry up the moisture from your golden lids

For great Apollo [the Greek God of the sun and light] bids

That in these days your praises should be sung

 On many harps, which he has lately strung;

And when again your dewiness he kisses, Tell him, I have you in my world of blisses:…

According to herbal medicine educator and researcher, Dr Sue Evans, plants have always been part of cultures throughout history and this is tied to the understanding of the herbal medicine within that culture. She says the dominance of science in modern herbal medicine, and the emphasis on phytochemisty, has meant that the social sciences and humanities often get ignored. She suggests modern herbalists can think about herbs in a broader context and resolve this disconnect by examining them through the lens of subjects such as music, literature and poetry. In this context calendula’s cheerfulness makes it a wonderful ally for people who are feeling low as it can lift the spirits, or as Keats observed make one “light-hearted”, when there is melancholy and mild depression. 

This familiar garden flower has long been touted as a topical anti-infective remedy for wounds resistant to healing. Calendula is used as a therapy for a wide array of skin disorders ranging from chapped hands to lacerations. According to the German Commission E, topical applications of calendula are safe and efficacious in decreasing inflammation and promoting granulation of wounds, burns, eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions. Based on the results of a 2023 human clinical study calendula may have beneficial healing properties, and be effective, in accelerating the healing of second-degree burn wounds and can be used as a supplement to treat wounds.

Calendula is especially beneficial with cysts, swollen glands or chronic skin conditions such as acne where it helps to move stagnation, particularly in the lymphatic system. As a digestive calendula is indicated where there are chronic problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies and leaky gut syndrome. As a detoxifier, especially of the liver, it also has a hormone balancing effect helping to regulate periods and ease painful menstruation.

To read more please login and visit the Resources page on our website for our new calendula monograph. There you can take advantage of our monthly specials. Calendula also features in our new Naturopath’s Guide to Acne.

References

Hylton, W ed. The Rodale Herb Book. Rodale Press, 1974. p. 381

Lovell Verinder E. The Plant Clinic. Thames & Hudson: Port Melbourne. 2021. p. 131

Evans, S. The Impact of Science on Herbal Medicine. Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA). Naturopathic Symposium May 2023, Melbourne.

Rezai S, Rahzani K, Hekmatpou D, Rostami A. Effect of oral Calendula officinalis on second-degree burn wound healing. Scars Burn Heal. 2023 Jan 4;9:20595131221134053. doi: 10.1177/20595131221134053. PMID: 36632430; PMCID: PMC9827526.

Calendula (Pot Marigold). IMGateway. c2001-2023 UnityHealth Proprietary Limited (accessed 24 Jul 2023). Available from https://www.imgateway.net/page.jsp?profRef=ProfHerbs_CalendulaPotMarigoldph

Lovell Verinder E. The Plant Clinic. Thames & Hudson: Port Melbourne. 2021. p. 131

Gotu kola is a tropical plant which has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years in southeast Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and China. It has also been referred to by the name brahmi but most authorities associate brahmi with Bacopa monniera. Also known as Indian pennywort, gotu kola is recognised for its rapid healing and anti-inflammatory qualities and its ability to improve memory, anxiety and depression. It is one of the chief herbs for treating skin problems, varicose veins, to heal wounds, for revitalizing the nerves and brain cells and is well known as a universal panacea for promoting longevity. This beguiling promise of longevity through cell regeneration is the herb’s main attraction.

Gotu kola has high nutritional value and in Sri Lanka, where it is known as the secret of perpetual youth, it has been a staple food in many households for generations. There it is served in a popular breakfast porridge known as kola (which means leaf in Sinhala) kanda, a nutritious mix of red rice, fresh coconut, garlic, pepper, salt and a blend of green leaves. It is used for general wellbeing and especially beneficial for the sick, elderly or arthritic. In fact a Sri Lankan legend has it that people observed elephants, an animal renowned for its longevity, eating wild growing gotu kola and decided to try it themselves thus discovering the plant’s medicinal properties and giving credence to the saying ‘to have a memory like an elephant’. This led to the Sinhalese proverb, ‘two leaves a day keep old age away’.

When the ‘doctrine of signatures’ (some visible or other clue that indicates a plant’s therapeutic use) is considered gotu kola leaf looks very much like the human brain, particularly the cerebellum portion, bringing to attention the mind strengthening and cognitive supportive aspects of this herb. A human clinical study aimed at managing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and other age-related problems in the elderly returned positive results. MCI is a problem which may convert into Alzheimer’s disease in later stages. In 60 people aged 65 and above gotu kola aqueous extract was prescribed in a dose of 500mg twice a day (1000mg daily) for six months. A favourable improvement was observed in MCI along with other problems like hypertension, insomnia, loss of appetite and constipation.

References

Braun L, Cohen M. Essential Herbs and Natural Substances. Chatswood: Elsevier Australia; 2017. p. 2011

European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Assessment report on Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, herba [Internet]. London: European Medicines Agency; c1995-2023  [updated Mar 30 2022;cited 3 Jul 2023]. Available from https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/assessment-report-centella-asiatica-l-urb-herba-revision-1_en.pdf

Gohil KJ, Patel JA, Gajjar AK. Pharmacological Review on Centella asiatica: A Potential Herbal Cure-all. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2010;72(5):546–556. doi:10.4103/0250-474X.78519

Huson P. Mastering Herbalism – A Practical Guide. First Madison Books:Oxford. 2001. p. 309-11

vFoster S, Tyler VE, Tyler VM. Tyler’s Honest Herbal. 4th edn. Routledge:New York. 1999. p. 199-200

Tiwari S, Singh S, Patwardhan K, Gehlot S, Gambhir IS. Effect of Centella asiatica on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and other common age-related clinical problems. Digest J Nanomat Biostruct. 2008;3:215–20.

With a name like feverfew it could be assumed correctly that this daisy like, aromatic, cooling plant was historically used as a fever reducing herb. The first-century Greek physician Dioscorides prescribed feverfew for “all hot inflammations” and as an antipyretic. It was known as “medieval aspirin” or the “aspirin” of the 18th century.

More recently feverfew has gained fame as a migraine herb and there has been a great deal of interest in its activity in the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches. The first modern, public account of its use as a preventative for migraine appeared in 1978. The story, reported in the British health magazine Prevention, concerned a patient who had suffered from severe migraines since the age of 16. At 68 years of age she began using three leaves of feverfew daily and after 10 months her headaches ceased completely. One large randomised controlled trial, conducted on 170 migraine patients, showed overall good tolerability and a reduction in migraine attacks with 6.25mg of feverfew extract.

Feverfew is also renowned as a herb for women. Headaches, irritability and tension associated with ‘liverish’ premenstrual symptoms can be treated with this bitter herb. As a traditional emmenagogue, sluggish menstrual flow and painful periods can also be relieved with feverfew. It has been used traditionally for the hot flushes of menopause and feverfew may also help arthritis when it is in the painfully active inflammatory stage.

References

Pareek A, Suthar M, Rathore GS, Bansal V. Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): A systematic review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2011 Jan;5(9):103-10. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.79105. PMID: 22096324; PMCID: PMC3210009.

Puledda F, Shields K. Non-Pharmacological Approaches for Migraine. Neurotherapeutics. 2018 Apr;15(2):336-345. doi: 10.1007/s13311-018-0623-6. PMID: 29616493; PMCID: PMC5935652.

Trickey R. Women, Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle. 3rd edn. Fairfield: Melbourne Holistic Health Group. 2011. p. 464-65

Hoffman D. The New Holistic Herbal. Melbourne:Element. 1990.p. 200

McIntyre A. The Complete Woman’s Herbal. Gai Books Limited:London. 1994. p. 131