Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) is also known as the King’s Cup / Goblet. It is a plant that loves to grow in ponds, marshes, damp meadows, ditches and wet woodlands. Marsh Marigold is a large flower that looks very similar to that of buttercup.
Marsh Marigold can reach a height of 80 cm, the leaves are often kidney shaped and roughly 3 – 20 cm in diameter with a blunt but serrated margin with a wax like texture but the stems of this plant are hollow. The flowers of this plant are a bright golden colour and can be between 2 – 5 cm in diameter with roughly 5 petals, but this could be a little as 4 petals but can be as many as 9 petals per flower. The flowers are gret for attracting a wide variety of insects to help pollinated the plant.
This plant is sometimes considered a weed, as in clay like soil, the root will survive in pieces where as in warm free draining soil it just tends to die away. As with many of the Ranunculaceae family, all parts of the plant are poisonous and can be an irritant that causes skin rashes when it has been handled for long periods.
Height: 20 – 50cm
Flowering Time: March to August
Preferred Conditions: Prefers to grow in alkaline or neutral soils and cannot tolerate acidic soils. This wildflower can be fond on the edge of rivers, ponds, and lakes.
