Edible Flower
Strawberry Blonde Calendula is a striking heirloom calendula that transforms a garden favorite into something unexpectedly dimensional. Its soft yellow-pink petals reveal a surprise cerise color on their undersides, creating a bold three-dimensional effect that catches the eye from every angle. Bred by plant breeder Frank Morton, this self-seeding annual reaches full maturity in just 60 days and thrives in full sun with consistent moisture. It's a versatile plant that combines ornamental beauty with culinary, healing, and pest-repelling properties, making it far more than just a pretty face in the garden.
Full Sun
High
2-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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The dual-color petal pattern is what immediately sets Strawberry Blonde apart. Soft yellow-pink faces paired with cerise undersides create an almost three-dimensional bloom that looks dramatically different depending on how light hits the flower. This modern twist on a traditional calendula proves that heirlooms can be both deeply rooted in horticultural tradition and visually surprising. Frank Morton's breeding work brought a fresh energy to a plant people have grown for centuries.
Calendula has been valued across centuries for multiple purposes, and Strawberry Blonde carries that versatility forward. Its petals work in the kitchen, bringing color and mild flavor to salads and other fresh preparations. The plant serves as a natural pest repellent in vegetable gardens, particularly beneficial near tomatoes. Beyond the garden, calendula has long been prized in traditional healing preparations and herbal remedies, though primarily in external applications. Ornamentally, whether in garden beds or cut for fresh bouquets, the striking petal coloring makes it a standout choice for both landscape design and indoor arrangements.
Start seeds indoors in containers, sowing them lightly covered. Germination occurs between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and typically takes 6 to 15 days. Begin seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost date.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off, once nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space transplants 10 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds into the garden after the last spring frost, lightly covered, when soil temperatures reach 65 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.
For fresh-cut flowers, harvest in the morning when blooms are at their freshest and petals are just opening. Use a clean knife that has been dipped in a solution of 10 percent household bleach to make clean cuts. A few drops of bleach added to the vase water will prolong the beauty of cut flowers. The striking dual-color petals remain vibrant longest when harvested at this early stage.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season. If you want to allow the plant to self-seed for next year, let some flowers mature fully on the plant before winter arrives.
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“Strawberry Blonde comes from the work of plant breeder Frank Morton, who has spent decades rescuing and improving heirloom vegetables and flowers. Rather than starting from scratch, Morton selected and refined existing calendula genetics to emphasize this distinctive dual-color petal pattern, creating something that feels both new and timeless. This cultivar represents the intersection of classical heirloom breeding with modern aesthetic sensibilities, honoring calendula's centuries-long history while giving gardeners something genuinely novel to grow.”