Marsh Marigold

Common Name: Marsh Marigold

Latin Name: Caltha palustris

Family: Ranuculaceae

Marsh marigolds with their bright yellow flowers are a cheery sight in the spring. The plant has many local names and is also commonly called Kingcup. Tradition and superstition have long been associated with the plant: the flowers were previously used to protect against witches and in seasonal celebrations. The plant contains substances which are toxic to both livestock and humans, and all parts of the plant can cause irritation to the skin. Despite this the plant has been used medicinally, the flowers have been used to produce a yellow dye and the buds were formerly pickled like capers. Marsh marigold has several garden variants which often have a paler white form.

In the Yorkshire Dales National Park marsh marigolds are frequent in areas of wet grassland; beside ditches and watercourses; and in open damp woodland. The species is thought to have been even more widespread before agricultural improvements drained the land.