Calendula officinalis
Calendula petals bring warm yellow-orange color and a lightly tangy, peppery note. They are sometimes called “poor man’s saffron” for their color rather than for matching saffron’s flavor.1
Further notes
Only the ray florets—the petal-like outer parts of the flower—are generally used as the edible portion.2
Calendula is also called pot marigold, but it is not a Tagetes marigold. The flower head is a composite: what looks like one orange flower is really a packed community of small florets, much like sunflower and dandelion.
Footnotes
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Edible Flowers: Pretty in Your Garden and a Culinary Delight,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Maine Home Garden Newsletter — May 2026,” 2026. ↩