How to Save Calendula Seeds 🌼 + Powerful Benefits of This Flower #calendula #gardening #growyourown

To save calendula seeds, allow the flower heads to dry completely on the plant until they turn brown and papery. Once dry, gently remove the heads and collect the curved, spiky seeds, which resemble tiny claws. Store them in a cool, dry place in a labeled paper envelope or glass jar for planting the next season. Calendula, often called “pot marigold,” is not only a vibrant garden flower but also a powerful medicinal herb. Its petals are edible and have been used for centuries in teas, salves, and tinctures to promote healing. Fascinatingly, calendula petals can even react to weather changes—they often close up when rain is near, earning the nickname “weather plant.”

To harvest colundula, I wait until a bunch of flowers have dried out and dropped all their petals. I have a ton of colundula seeds already saved from last season. And you may ask, do you really need more? To that I say, “Ooh, another seed head.” In all seriousness, I can spread around the ones from previous seasons into corners of the yard and do the same thing with these next season. I can always find a good use for them. After collecting a bunch of seed heads, I crumble the entire head onto a tray or paper towel and the dark spiky claw looking things are separated from the dried out flower bits. These are the seeds of the chundula. This annual flower is edible, medicinal, and the petals are often used in salads, teas natural coloring, and have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and healing properties. They make great companion plants and are cold hearty as well as being prolific self-seeders. Next, I remove the large debris and let the seeds sit in a dry place for a day or two before putting it away in a paper seed packet. You can get these on Amazon. Optionally, you can use brown paper lunch bags. And finally, I label the packet to make it easier to locate later and put the date harvested so I can tell how old the seeds are later. Very straightforward, but I hope that helps.