Alpha Calendula
calendula officinalis

days to maturity: 50 days
plant spacing: 2-4 plants per square foot
sunlight requirements: 8-14 hours
look out for: mealy bugs
harvest notes: harvest flowers every other day
season: fall, winter, spring
annual

Alpha Calendula is a orange/yellow calendula variety that is popular with herbalists for its extremely high resin content. Calendula is a short bushy plants about calf high that will keep blooming for almost the whole season if you make sure to “deadhead” the plants regularly. Deadheading the plant means to cut off all of the blooms to encourage fresh new shoots and blooms. The calendula is an annual flower native to the northern Mediterranean countries. Its name refers to its tendency to bloom with the calendar, usually once a month or with every new moon. Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, antifungal, antiviral, and immunostimulant properties making it useful for disinfecting and treating minor wounds, conjunctivitis, cuts, scrapes, chapped or chafed skin, bruises, burns, athlete’s foot, acne, yeast infections, bee stings, diaper rashes, and other minor irritations and infections of the skin.