Marsh Marigold – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Marsh Marigold (and many more)

BINOMIAL: Caltha palustris

Family	Asteraceae
Cdn Native Range	Canada
Natural habitat	marshes, swamps, stream banks and ditches
Type	herbaceous perennial
Features	clusters of large buttercup like yellow flowers on tall stems
Growth habit	compact mounds of shiny rounded leaves
Mature height	30 – 45 cm (12 – 18 inches)
Mature spread	30 – 45 cm (12 – 18 inches)
Life span	n/a
Cdn Hardiness Zone	3 – 7
Growing conditions	full sun; some afternoon shade in the summer
Soil conditions	prefers muddy, humus-rich waterlogged soils
Watering needs	requires constant moisture
Fertilizer needs	dislikes fertilizer
Tolerance	do not allow to dry out; will tolerate full shade but less likely to produce flowers
Maintenance rank	low; easy to grow
Maintenance needs	low maintenance; will re-bloom if cut back before seeding
Bloom	early bloomer in spring with striking yellow flowers
Fruit	n/a
Pollinator support	flowers produce both nectar and pollen which attracts insects, beetles, hummingbirds, butterflies, ants and bees; the flowers are yellow to the human eye but appear purple to bees
Environmental support	attracts birds but not a host plant for larvae
Garden Use	water gardens; pond edges; rain gardens; wet, boggy areas in the landscape
Risks & Cautions	deer resistant; susceptible to powdery mildew and rust; contact with juice from leaves my cause blistering or inflammation; ingestion will cause gastric illness