206 · Calendula Orange King
Flower · Annual · Edible petals · Heirloom
About this plant
an annual with tall plants that produce big, double, bright mandarin-orange flowers — a bold statement. Full sun, rich soil and moderate moisture; often self-sows. Deadhead regularly for continuous bloom (Baker Creek).
Planting it at home
- When to plant out
- Right away. Our low-desert planting window for cool-season plants ends about mid-February.
- Where
- Raised bed, Containers
- Spacing
- 10"
- Size
- 18-24" tall (Baker Creek)
- Support
- Bush / compact — little or no support
Care
- Sun
- Full sun, 8-12 hours (from the packet)
- Water
- Moderate
- Feed
- A light flower fertilizer every 3–4 weeks while blooming (general guide).
- Deadhead
- Cut off spent flowers to keep new blooms coming.
Good to know
- Caution
- Petals only are edible. Do not eat leaves or stems.
- Grown from
- Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers
- Life cycle
- Annual here (cool season)
- Heirloom or hybrid
- Heirloom — saved seeds grow true
- Pollinators
- Moderate
- Heat (our summer)
- Moderate
- Cold
- Yes — frost hardy (from the packet)
- Color
- Bright mandarin-orange, big double flowers (from the packet)
- Edible
- Petals only (slightly bitter, saffron-like). Strip from the bitter center (UA and UMN Extension).
Seed for our 2027 plants: rareseeds.com · Learn more: UA Extension, Maricopa Master Gardeners · Growing In The Garden (Mesa AZ)