Calendula

Calendula officinalis 

Another banger plant. I harvest the flower throughout the spring and summer, and even into fall. The oils in it make the flower heads a bit sticky, which is where the medicine is. And when you pinch off the flower heads, that stimulates the plant to shoot up more flower heads—a botanical Hydra. I also love the smell. It grows easily in our PNW climate in cultivated gardens and pollinators love it. Grow it in your garden if you have one!

There are so many active compounds in this powerful plant, including quercetin, caffeic acid, and coumarins. The carotenoids that make the flowers so colorful are also the same compound that provides us with anti-oxidants and wound healing action. Its terpenoids have extensive anti-inflammatory actions, and have also been shown to inhibit tumor growth. Therapeutically, it functions as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. 

For climbers, there is often much wear and tear in our hands and joints from exercise induced oxidative stress, leading to long term damage in cells and tissue. This can often increase soreness and injury recovery times, accelerate aging, and lead to chronic conditions, especially as we age. Calendula is an excellent antioxidant that works by binding to the unstable reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and neutralizing them. Its polyphenols actually reverse cell damage. 

I use calendula for my skin after climbing, especially when the sharp crystals of Washington’s granite sand my finger tips raw.