194 days to last frost

Calendula ‘Touch of Red Buff’

Guides/Calendula

Calendula ‘Touch of Red Buff’

Calendula officinalis

Color

Light Orange, Red reverse

Days to cut

50–55 days

Status

trying

Catalog ID

CF-02

Seasons logged

3

First sown

2026-04-13

Coffee-cream petals with crimson reverses create two-tone blooms on quick-maturing plants.

How it grows

Germination

Days to germ.: 5–14 d
Soil temp: 50–85 °F
Depth: 0.25 in
Light for germ: dark
Viability: 1 yrs

Culture

Days to maturity: 50–55 d
Spacing: 6–18 in
Height: 18–26 in
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Frost: Hardy to ~25°F · to 25°F · hardy
Sow indoors: No
Outdoor / direct: Yes

Harvest

Cut stage: Pick when half to fully open; snip stems in the morning.
Vase life: 6–8 d
Notes: Petals are edible. Yield: Estimated ~40 blossoms/plant

Trials

Sown

Source

Seeds

Rating

Notes

2026-05-26Seed Savers Exchange—Direct Sow · Location: North 4 2026-05-19Seed Savers Exchange—Direct Sow 2026-04-13Seed Savers Exchange20Sown Indoors (20) · Location: North 4 They grew really well, but the coloring is typically orange, not the cream/red combination I had hoped for.

Other Observations

Notes not filed against a sowing. Everything else sits with its trial above.

No loose observations — every note belongs to a sowing.

This variety’s year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Outdoor / directApr 23 – Jun 18

Bloom (from outdoor)Jun 11 – Sep 3

See the whole season

Progress

Sown 2026-05-26

Day 167 · past expected maturity (50–55)

Seed source

Seed Savers ExchangeSown 2026-05-26

Other Calendula varieties

Species overview

‘Ivory Princess’

‘Orange Flash’