Description

Annual growing to a height of 2 ft (60 cm). Has toothed lance-shaped leaves, yellow button-like flower heads, and burr like fruit.

Habitat & Cultivation

Bur marigold grows throughout Europe and in other temperate regions, including Australia and New Zealand. It is found in damp places and near fresh water.

Parts Used

Aerial parts.

Constituents

Bur marigold contains flavonoids, xanthophylls, volatile oil, acetylenes, sterols, and tannins.

History & Folklore

The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, writing in 1652, extolled bur marigold: “It helps the cachexia or evil disposition of the body, the dropsy and yellow jaundice, it opens obstructions of the liver, and mollifies the hardness of the spleen being applied outwardly.”

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Little used in medicine today, bur marigold is astringent and diuretic, and employed to treat bladder and kidney problems. It has a longstanding reputation for staunching blood flow, and can be used for uterine hemorrhage and conditions causing blood in the urine. Bur marigold’s astringency is beneficial in counteracting peptic ulceration, diarrhea, and ulcerative colitis.