Why Organic Farmers Are Growing More Calendula in 2025

Calendula, often called “pot marigold,” has been a staple in traditional medicine and cottage gardens for centuries. But in 2025, this humble orange-and-yellow flower is seeing a remarkable surge in popularity among organic farmers worldwide. Known for its medicinal, culinary, and ecological benefits, calendula is transitioning from a secondary crop into a central part of organic farming systems. The shift reflects a growing awareness of its market demand, environmental contributions, and multifunctional role on farms.

Farmers today are thinking beyond yields of grain or vegetables. They are considering soil health, biodiversity, pollinator attraction, and value-added herbal markets. Calendula checks all these boxes, making it a plant of choice in regenerative and organic agriculture. Understanding why it is booming now requires looking at trends in health, beauty, and sustainable farming.

Calendula’s Medicinal and Market Value in 2025

Calendula’s rise is closely tied to the booming natural health and skincare industry. Extracts of calendula are widely used in balms, teas, tinctures, and cosmetics due to their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The global herbal skincare market is projected to grow by more than 7% annually, and calendula is one of the featured ingredients driving this trend.

Organic farmers are keen to meet this demand because calendula requires minimal chemical input and thrives in low-fertility soils. This means it’s not just marketable but also cost-effective. By cultivating calendula, farmers can supply fresh petals for tea markets, dried flowers for herbal remedies, and oils for natural product companies.

Consumer preference for traceable, certified-organic ingredients is another factor. In surveys, over 65% of herbal product buyers in 2025 say they prefer products labeled organic, boosting incentives for farmers to integrate calendula as a certified crop.

Ecological Role in Organic Farming Systems

Calendula is more than just a cash crop. Farmers are increasingly planting it as part of ecological farming systems because it offers multiple ecosystem services:

• Attracts beneficial insects such as hoverflies and parasitic wasps that prey on crop pests
• Serves as a trap crop for aphids and whiteflies, protecting vegetables

Calendula blooms over a long season, which means consistent nectar and pollen for pollinators, an essential part of maintaining biodiversity. This ecological role is particularly valuable in organic farms where synthetic pesticides are not used, and natural pest control is a priority.

For those aiming to diversify their crop portfolios, the decision to buy Calendula Seeds also reflects a practical step toward improving farm resilience. By integrating calendula into crop rotations, soil structure improves while reducing pest outbreaks.

Calendula as a Culinary and Nutritional Crop

Calendula is becoming more and more common in kitchens due to its ecological and health benefits. The petals are used as a natural colourant in rice dishes, salads, and soups because of their peppery and somewhat acidic flavour. Calendula is known as the "poor man's saffron" in some culinary traditions, and as more chefs try out locally grown edible flowers, the fad is making a comeback.

Calendula is a crop that farmers find appealing for direct-to-consumer sales to restaurants, farmers' markets, or community-supported agriculture initiatives. Calendula provides shelf appeal and diversity as edible flowers gain popularity.

Sales of edible flowers increased by about 30% between 2022 and 2025, according to data from the European Horticultural Journal, with calendula being one of the top five species in demand.

"The greatest service which can be rendered to any country is to add a useful plant to its culture." – Thomas Jefferson

This statement resonates deeply with the current moment. Organic farmers are adding calendula not just because of its traditional uses but because it fulfills multiple modern demands—ecological balance, consumer interest, and farm profitability.

Calendula in Regenerative Agriculture Practices

The focus of regenerative farming is on closed-loop systems, biodiversity, and healthy soil. Calendula is a good fit for these objectives. It can increase the amount of organic matter in the soil and lessen soil erosion when grown as a companion plant or cover crop.

Because calendula attracts pollinators and helps ward off destructive nematodes, farmers frequently intercrop it with vegetables like beans, tomatoes, and peppers. To improve soil fertility, some people even turn calendula leftovers into green manure.

Calendula is a comparatively light feeder, in contrast to high-demand crops that deplete soil nutrients. This results in less strain on the soil and less need for outside inputs, which is a desirable attribute for organic certification compliance.

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Economic Incentives Driving Calendula Cultivation

In 2025, many organic farmers are driven by both ecological values and economic realities. Calendula offers strong market incentives:

• Steady demand in herbal tea, wellness, and beauty industries
• High price points for organic-certified flowers compared to conventional varieties

The benefit of diversification is similarly significant. Growing calendula can help farmers who rely on a limited number of vegetable crops mitigate their economic risks. Farmers can offer it to a variety of businesses, including bulk herbal supply chains, infused oils, dried petals, and fresh flowers.

As consumers' understanding of herbal medicine grows, calendula-based products are becoming increasingly expensive. Calendula is one of the top five growing herbal crops for the expansion of global trade in 2025, according to reports from the International Organic Trade Forum.

Calendula and Climate Adaptability

Farmers require crops that are able to withstand temperature and precipitation variations as climatic unpredictability increases. Because of its adaptability, calendula can grow in a variety of environments, including semi-arid and temperate ones. Because of its versatility, it is a dependable crop during unpredictable growing seasons.

Calendula blooms consistently with little help, in contrast to fragile specialized flowers that need careful climate control. This guarantees calendula survives while allowing organic growers to focus resources on more delicate crops. With the rise in weather extremes worldwide, this flexibility is becoming increasingly important.

Calendula is a low-risk addition to planting schedules for gardeners in areas with unpredictable rainfall because of its ability to withstand both drought and chilly spells.

Integration with Herbal and Wellness Markets

The manufacturing of organic calendula is in line with consumer trends towards healthier lifestyles. Calendula-infused herbal beverages and natural therapies promoted for digestive and skin health are becoming more popular. Companies that manufacture herbal products and need a steady, high-quality supply are partnering with farmers.

Cosmetics demand calendula oil, which is made by infusing flowers in carrier oils. This gives small and medium-sized farmers the chance to try their hand at value-added processing. Farmers can profit from a larger portion of the value chain by selling processed commodities in addition to raw flowers.

Calendula's expanding use in natural medicine is highlighted by resources such as HerbalGram, and the Organic Trade Association notes a steady demand from consumers for herbal components. Calendula's economic potential is strengthened by these industry drivers taken together.

FAQs About Calendula Farming in 2025

1. Is calendula difficult to grow organically?
2. Not at all. Calendula is hardy, adaptable, and requires minimal input, making it one of the easiest flowers to cultivate on organic farms.
3. Can calendula be grown year-round?
4. In temperate climates, it can bloom nearly year-round with successive sowing. In colder regions, it thrives in spring through early autumn.
5. Does calendula have any pest or disease problems?
6. It is relatively resistant but can attract aphids. Interestingly, this can be beneficial as it acts as a trap crop to protect neighboring plants.
7. How do farmers harvest calendula for medicinal use?
8. Flowers are typically harvested by hand at full bloom and dried carefully to preserve medicinal compounds like flavonoids and carotenoids.
9. What markets buy calendula from organic farmers?
10. Herbal product manufacturers, tea companies, natural skincare brands, restaurants, and direct consumers all represent strong markets.

Looking Beyond 2025: Calendula’s Place in the Future of Farming

Calendula and other crops are changing the definition of sustainable farming as organic farming develops. Farmers are creating robust systems that balance ecology, economy, and consumer health rather than just following trends. A compelling illustration of how a single plant may support several aspects of farming success is provided by calendula.

Calendula in 2025 is a story about more than just natural cures and market demand. It's about how organic farmers are rethinking agriculture in general by selecting robust, multipurpose crops that have strong ties to both innovation and tradition. A vision for a more integrated, holistic farming future is carried by this flower as it grows over fields around the world.