Photos of Calendula officinalis, Calendula farming, drying and processing.

Calendula officinalis. Calendula commercial production, farming and drying in Europe, Africa and the United States. The plant’s most useful part is the ray florets or petals, though the entire flower is usually harvested as a matter of economy. Try spending an afternoon plucking the individual flower petals from the central disk and you’ll soon realize why commercial growers choose to harvest the whole flower head. Gathering individual flowers is great for the home gardener, but unfeasible for the farmer. Petals stripped from the disks dry much faster than the whole flower head.

Email: sfoster@stevenfoster.com, or call +1-479-253-2629 for licensing terms and fees. All images © Copyright Steven Foster. Thank you!