Northern Africa, Canary Islands, Madeira Islands. Western and Middle Asia (temperate regions). Eastern, middle, southwestern, and southeastern Europe. (from USDA)
A species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name field marigold. It is native to central and southern Europe, and it is known across the globe as an introduced species.
Calendula arvensis is an annual or biennial herb 10 - 50 cm tall. The leaves are lance-shaped and borne on petioles from the slender, hairy stem. The inflorescence is a single flower head up to four centimeters wide with bright yellow to yellow-orange ray florets around a center of yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene which can take any of three shapes, including ring-shaped, that facilitate different methods of dispersal.
USDA lists it being a weed, with no indication that it has been an ornamental.