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Marsh marigold is a wetland buttercup relative, not a true marigold, with glossy yellow flowers that bloom in swamps and wet woods in spring. In the US it's widespread in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and the raw plant is poisonous. In parts of North America it's also called cowslip.

Appearance

Appearance
A clump-forming plant about 8–24 in (20–60 cm) tall, with hollow, hairless stems.
Leaves
Mostly basal, round to kidney-shaped with a deep notch at the base, up to about 4 in (10 cm) long, with smooth or scalloped edges.
Flowers
Bright yellow flowers about 1–1½ in (2.5–4 cm) across, with usually five shiny, petal-like and a ring of many stamens. The plant has no true petals.
Flowering time
April to May in Minnesota; it flowers later farther north and higher up.
Fruit
Each flower forms a cluster of small curved pods about 3/8 in (1 cm) long that split open along one side.

Look-alikes

Lesser celandineFicaria verna

Lesser celandine flowers have 7–11 narrow petals over 3 green sepals. Marsh marigold has about 5 broad, petal-like sepals and no true petals.

Why they get mixed upBoth have shiny yellow flowers and rounded, heart-shaped leaves in wet spring woods.

Spreading globeflowerTrollius laxus

Globeflower leaves are deeply divided like a hand, and each stem carries a single flower. Marsh marigold leaves are whole and rounded, with up to several flowers per stem.

Why they get mixed upBoth are buttercup relatives with yellow, cup-shaped flowers in spring wetlands.

Where it lives

Typical habitats
  • swamps
  • wet woods
  • seeps and springs
  • stream and lake shores
  • wet ditches
Range
Found across the temperate Northern Hemisphere. In the US it's widespread in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and it also grows in Alaska and along the Pacific Northwest coast.
Preferred conditions
A true wetland plant that grows only in wet ground, in full sun to part shade.
Flowering

Flowers Apr–May

Flowers Apr–May

Life cycle

Seed dispersal
Raindrops can splash seeds out of the open pods, and the seeds float, so water helps spread them.

Cautions

Cautions
The raw plant contains protoanemonin, which can burn the mouth and throat, cause vomiting and diarrhea, and blister the skin. Heat breaks the compound down.

Connected species

Pollinators
A study in southern Ontario found beetles, bees, flies, and other insects carrying its pollen. A plant can't fertilize itself with its own pollen, so it relies on these visitors.
Close relatives
  • White marsh marigoldCaltha leptosepala

    Its western mountain cousin, found from Alaska to New Mexico in wet alpine meadows; its sepals are usually white instead of yellow.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms
A double-flowered garden form, 'Flore Pleno', is sold for pond edges and bog gardens.

Conservation

IUCN Red List
LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories
  • The 'marigold' part of the name is linked to the Virgin Mary, from medieval Easter offerings made in her honor.
  • Young leaves have been eaten as greens, but only after being boiled in several changes of water.

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Marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris) — identification, habitat & look-alikes | Moeyo