Probably native to Southern Europe and North Africa, Calendula has been widely cultivated for centuries. The flowers were used to decorate Hindu temples and color food, cosmetics, and fabric in Ancient Greece. Medieval England used the petals for syrups, conserves, stews and baked bread. Calendula's ray florets are loaded with antioxidant compounds (e.g., carotenoids, such as flavoxanthin and auroxanthin). The whole flowers can be dried and then added to soups and stews in the winter as a tonic for the immune system. The blossoms have long been a signature remedy for skin ailments, from eczema to acnes and abrasions. The German health authority has approved Calendula for treating wounds based on its anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant properties.