Calendula - Pot Marigold Pendant

Some people know this flower as a Pot Marigold or Common Marigold. Although they share the same name, the pot marigold isn’t technically a marigold at all.  I remember reading somewhere that early Christians used to make crowns out of the flower blooms and refer to them as, ‘Mary’s Gold’ - hence the confusion between the two different flowers. 

Marigolds belong to the Tagetes genus and Pot Marigolds are members of the Calendula genus, which make them long-distance cousins in the Asteraceae family. Calendula petals are thin, soft, and are commonly used in plant medicine for skin irritation. Marigold petals are wider, more circular in shape, and are often used as a decorative pest control in vegetable gardens!