21 Beautiful Calendula Varieties

Calendula is also sometimes referred to as pot marigold, because of its physical similarities to true marigolds. Calendula flowers, however, have longer petals, and rounder, wider leaves. They attract beneficial pollinators to your garden, including bees and butterflies, and make a great cut flower. Not to mention that these annual flowers readily self-seed and will come back year after year. With so many calendula varieties to choose from, they make a beautiful addition to any garden.

Calendula is also known for its many medicinal benefits. A tea made from the dried petals can reduce inflammation. When used topically, it has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for treating minor burns and cuts.

Their petals have many other uses as well. Dried petals can also be added to baked goods or used as a garnish in salads or garden cocktails. When soaked, their vibrant hues can be extracted from petals and used as a natural food or fabric dye.

Zeolights

The bronzy-orange petals of ‘Zeolights‘ fade to a light pink color with a yellow base and maroon back. Plants will grow 12 to 24 inches tall and will bloom from spring until the late fall. The stunning double blooms are frost tolerant and may even bloom through the first few snows in the fall and winter. The pointed petals add to the layered effect of this variety and make it stand out in the world of calendula varieties.  

Oopsy Daisy

This compact variety reaches a height of eight inches. Their short stature makes them great for planting along borders or pathways. ‘Oopsy Daisy‘ produces orange, cream, and yellow flowers in both single and double blooms. Their orange-tipped blooms make a beautiful cut flower. They will self-seed without becoming invasive unless they are continually deadheaded, which gives you a great excuse to make a bouquet. They don’t produce the biggest blooms, but they bloom profusely throughout the summer. 

Resina

This variety is named as such for its resin-rich petals which are prized by herbalists. The increased resin makes this a great choice for those interested in the medicinal properties of calendula. ‘Resina‘ is also edible and can be used to garnish salads, flavor soups, and steeped to make teas. It produces bright yellow daisy-like blooms with an orange center. It will produce the occasional orange flower as well.  

Pacific Beauty Blend

This blend of calendula seeds is perfect for the indecisive gardener. If you can’t decide between yellow or orange, then you’re in luck! ‘Pacific Beauty Blend’ is a mix of both yellow and orange calendulas. They will add a nice mix of colors to your pollinator patch or cutting garden.

They produce double and semi-double flowers. Utilizing the yellow and orange petals in the kitchen can make an economical substitute for saffron. The flowers will impart the same color to your dish.  

Strawberry Blonde

These flowers have yellowish petals towards the center, which fade to pink as they move out to the edge of the bloom. Petals surround a dark reddish-brown center. The backs of the flower are bronze-red, which wraps around the edges of the front-facing petals, giving them a defined look.

They make a beautiful flower when cut fresh but are equally as beautiful when used in dried flower arrangements. ‘Strawberry Blonde’ also makes a beautiful edible decoration for cakes and pastries. This variety will flower all through the summer until the first hard frost. 

Oktoberfest

This variety produces two-and-a-half-inch blooms that are deep orange with a dark center. The flowers form on top of sturdy stems, which makes them great for cutting. And the more you cut, the more they will bloom! ‘Oktoberfest’ blooms from spring to mid-summer before fading as the heat of the summer sets in. This plant grows quite tall at 20-24 inches tall.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait until October for these to bloom. They’ll begin blooming in spring and bloom through the summer, reaching their peak bloom in fall. 

Cantaloupe Mix

This is another blend of seeds beneficial for the indecisive gardener or those who want a variety of calendula colors. ‘Cantaloupe mix’ has a range of colors in various shades of pink, apricot, and white. This makes a beautiful bouquet with a mix of colors that complement each other well. This mix is a classic cottage garden staple. 

Ivory Princess

This is one of the lightest colored calendula cultivars that is available. Flowers are yellow when closed and then open up to be almost pure white with just a splash of pastel yellow. ‘Ivory Princess’ is sometimes referred to as ‘Snow Princess.’

These white flowers make a great filler flower in garden bouquets and are beloved by cut flower growers. The flowers stand in contrast with emerald green foliage.  These tall and vigorous plants will produce tons of blooms. 

Bronzed Beauty

As its name would suggest, this variety produces peach and cream bicolor flowers with copper undertones. The cup-shaped flower heads are smaller than other varieties, with 2-inch blooms.

They will grow 18-24 inches tall. In areas with mild winters, they will bloom from fall through to the spring. In all other areas, they’ll bloom from spring to mid-summer. This is not a variety that does particularly well in the heat. 

Fruit Twist

This is a dwarf variety that grows to about six inches tall and eight inches wide. This makes it a great border plant in a pollinator garden. The shorter stems don’t lend as well for cut flowers, but they can still make a beautiful boutonniere or corsage.

These double and semi-double flowers come in a range of citrusy orange and yellow shades. They will bloom from spring until mid-summer.  They are perfect for growing in pots on patios or decks to bring a pop of color. 

Calexis Orange

This variety is the 2019 winner of the Fleuroselect Gold Medal, Europe’s top award. Fleuroselect is an International Organization for the ornamental plants industry. ‘Calexis Orange’ showcases double and semi-double blooms with solid orange petals that are rolled around a dark brown eye in the center.

They grow on compact 12-inch plants that are great for containers as well as in-ground. These plants will be covered with large flowers all through the growing season. 

Nova

This heirloom variety produces bright orange blooms that surround a dark red-orange center. ‘Nova’ is adaptable, low-maintenance, and drought-tolerant. Plants can range anywhere from 12 inches to 24 inches tall.

This is a fast-growing and long-blooming variety that will provide you with flowers all summer long. Makes a great companion plant in the vegetable garden to attract pollinators. 

Fiesta Gitana

This dwarf variety produces orange, yellow, and gold blooms. Compact plants reach a height of 12 inches. This heirloom showcases double blooms. ‘Fiesta Gitana’ was first introduced in the 1970s and is easy to grow, making it ideal for beginners. It is drought-resistant as well as deer and rabbit-resistant. A favorite of bees and butterflies alike. 

Geisha Girl

‘Geisha Girl’ produces bright orange double flowers. They are one of the first summer blooms and are quite heat and drought-tolerant. They will bloom from late spring through fall. Plants will grow to 20 inches tall and with loads of flowers. The frilly double blooms resemble chrysanthemums. Its bright orange color makes it perfect for use as a natural food dye or fabric dye. 

Indian Prince

The exceptionally long stems of this variety make it great for a cut flower garden. ‘Indian Prince’ features double-colored petals with a very deep orange on top and backed by red petals. This heirloom variety is stunning even amongst other orange calendula varieties.

It is similar to ‘Geisha Girl’ in appearance but with a much deeper color. It is known for attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators. 

Sunset Buff

This variety produces pinkish apricot flowers with red on the backs of the petals giving it a sunset appearance. These double blooms are larger than most and they grow quite tall at 24 inches.

‘Sunset Buff’ blooms from spring through fall and reseeds easily. They may stop blooming during the heat of the summer but will pick up again when the cooler fall temperatures arrive. This variety is notably deer-resistant and known to repel insect pests. 

Pink Surprise

This heirloom variety produces peach-colored double blooms. ‘Pink Surprise’ is more heat tolerant and will bloom from spring through fall. These plants reach a height of 16 inches tall. They are both deer and rabbit-resistant.

This variety has a long bloom season and will flower from April through October in most zones. This all-purpose calendula makes a beautiful cut flower, a great companion plant in the vegetable garden, and a pollinator garden standout. 

Kablouna

The flowers of ‘Kablouna’ are anemone-flowered, which is different from the standard double blooms. Instead, they resemble dandelions. They add not only a pop of color but texture as well.

The pincushion blooms come in a range of citrusy hues. The eyes of these flowers stand in contrast with the petals fringing along the edge. This fast-growing variety blooms within 60 days from transplant.  

Coffee and Cream

As its name suggests, this variety captures the color of coffee and cream. Petals are pinkish-beige and surround a dark bronze center. Their color is unique in the world of calendulas that tend to lean toward oranges, yellows, reds, and pinks.

This variety grows easily and will self-sow and come back the following year. Start seeds indoors and transplant them to the garden, or sow them directly around your last frost date.  

Orange King

This variety produces massive dark orange fully double blooms. These large orange flowers can reach up to four inches in diameter. They are a must-grow for your cut flower garden. Truly, the king of orange calendulas. Its dark orange hue makes it excellent for use as a dye as well. It is a quick-growing variety and produces flowers within 40-45 days.  

Solar Flashback

This variety produces beautiful copper, pink, and yellow bicolored flowers. Petal backs are solid red or maroon. The mix of pink, red, and yellow, mimics a sunset (or sunrise!) Solar Flashback grows to be 18-24 inches tall with long sturdy stems that make it a great cut flower.

You may also seed a ‘Flashback’ mix or seeds that contain this variety along with others in the ‘Flashback’ series that are made up of stunning bicolored double blooms. 

Lady Godiva Yellow 

The flowers of ‘Lady Godiva’ are small, one inch in diameter, and are a beautiful bright sunny yellow. In all other zones, they’re an annual and bloom from spring through fall. They are more heat tolerant than other varieties.

This variety will continually bloom with no deadheading required, but how could you resist cutting them and bringing some flowers inside?