Calendula

Commonly referred to as Marigolds (not to be confused with the popular bedding plants of the genus Tagetes), the roughly 15-20 species of the genus Calendula are native to Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Southwestern Asia, and the islands off the western coast of Africa and Europe. C. officinalisis by far the most well-known of the species, having been cultivated in England in the days of Shakespeare, and today it may be found in gardens worldwide. An annual that tolerates frost, these Pot Marigolds or Garden Marigolds brighten flower beds and borders with colorful, single to double blossoms over a long season, especially when they are sown in succession or allowed to self-sow.