Calendula officinalis 'Black Centered Orange Princess'
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1998
Good Qualities:
Good color (5); Large flowers (3); Good stem length (3); Very productive (2); Strong stems B no staking required (2); Showy (2); Very nice, floriferous; Nice splash of color in bouquets; Quilled flowers; Bright orange, multi-petalled flower with black centers; Excellent germination.
Problems:
Stem brittle, snap very easily; Had aphid problems with this, finally pulled them out because couldn't keep them off the plants; Need preservatives added to water; Poor germination; Hard to keep up with the production, had to dead head often to keep plants producing B sounds contradictory, but couldn't use all the flowers the plant produced so lots went unharvested; Does not last as cut flowers; Orange!
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating (1) | Repeat Again Rating (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 16.8 | 15.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.9 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Benary Seed
1444 Larson St.
Sycamore, IL 60178
Comments:
Always seem to have lots of problems with Calendula's, so I'm not real crazy about them; I personally don't like the sticky stems B can we breed those out?; Orange does not sell early summer in N.H. B Calendula are in poor demand; Thought it would have a black center because of its name, but just the usual run-of-the-mill calendula emerged!; Grew like crazy until they got tired at the end of August.; Tolerates light frost 1-2 C; Need special market to sell these - not a great color generally.