Ornamental
Orange Button Calendula is a vibrant, open-pollinated flower that brings rich, warm color and exceptional stem quality to any garden or vase. This cultivar of Calendula officinalis produces blooms in just 50-55 days, making it one of the quickest routes to cut flowers from seed. The plant grows as a compact bush and thrives in partial shade, flowering reliably from summer through heavy frost with successive sowings. Whether you're filling a cutting garden or bringing cheerful color to a partially shaded border, this calendula rewards you with continuous blooms and the satisfaction of saving seeds year after year.
12 inches apart
Partial Shade
Moderate
2-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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What sets Orange Button Calendula apart is its combination of rich color intensity and sturdy, harvest-ready stems, exactly what cut flower enthusiasts demand. The compact bush habit makes it effortless to tuck into garden spaces, while the quick 50-55 day turnaround means you'll be cutting flowers by midsummer. Best of all, direct sowing is the recommended approach, so you skip the indoor seed-starting fuss and let this variety do what it does best: grow fast and bloom generously.
Orange Button Calendula is grown primarily as a cut flower, where its rich color and good stem quality make it a standout choice for arrangements and bouquets. The fully open petals are also edible, though gardeners should harvest them once the flowers have fully opened and remove the petals before using in dishes, discarding the calyx and flower center.
Sow seeds indoors 4-5 weeks before your last spring frost date. No special temperature requirements are specified, though standard seed-starting conditions (65-70°F) will support germination. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off once danger of frost has passed.
Harden off indoor-started seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before transplanting. Plant out after danger of frost has passed, spacing seedlings 6 inches apart.
After danger of frost has passed, sow seeds directly into the garden at a depth of 1/4 inch. Space seeds to eventually be 6 inches apart. For continuous blooms from summer through heavy frost, make 2-3 successive sowings 2-3 weeks apart.
For cut flowers, harvest once the bloom is about 50% open, which typically occurs around 50-55 days after sowing. At this stage, the stem quality is excellent and the flower will continue opening in the vase. If harvesting petals for culinary use, wait until the flowers are fully open, then gently pull the petals away from the flower center, discarding the calyx and the central disk florets.
No specific pruning is required for this bush-habit calendula. Deadheading spent flowers, removing blooms once they fade, will encourage the plant to produce more flowers throughout the season if you're growing it for continuous garden color rather than harvesting for arrangements.
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