Marsh marigold

Marsh marigold: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, rounded clump 20–30 cm tall and 30–40 cm wide, with thick, hollow stems.

Leaves

Round to kidney-shaped, glossy dark green, with a scalloped edge, on long stalks.

Flower

Large, cup-shaped flowers of 3–5 cm, from March to May, held above the leaves.

Colour

Glossy golden yellow; there is also a white form.

Roots

A short rootstock with many fleshy roots that anchor well in wet, heavy soil.

Flowering: March–May · Plants: March–April and September–October

Why grow it?

• One of the earliest plants to flower by the pond, from March.
• Native and good for bees, bumblebees and hoverflies in early spring.
• It grows where it is wet: in the pond margin, a bog garden or up to 5 cm under water.
• After flowering, the glossy leaves remain an attractive green clump.
• Fully hardy and little work, as long as the soil stays wet.

Marsh marigold: where does it grow best?

• Sun or light partial shade; it flowers best in sun.
• Wet loam, clay or peat, acid to chalky.
• The soil must always be wet: in the pond margin, in a bog garden or in shallow water up to 5 cm deep.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, 6–9 plants per m².

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Wet

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Water forget-me-not: Small pale blue flowers next to the golden yellow, in the same wet margin.
• Cuckooflower: Soft lilac flowers in April–May, also native and fond of wet soil.
• Yellow flag iris: Takes over in May–June with tall yellow flowers.
• Purple loosestrife: Pink spikes in summer, long after the marsh marigold has finished.
• Water mint: Scented leaves and lilac flowers at the water’s edge in late summer.

Marsh marigold: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October.
2. In the bank: dig a hole in the wet soil and set the plant at the same depth as in the pot.
3. In the pond: plant in a planting basket with heavy, low-nutrient garden soil or aquatic compost, without potting compost or fertiliser.
4. Top the basket with a layer of gravel so the soil does not wash out and stand it on the marginal shelf, with the base no more than 5 cm under water.
5. Leave 30–40 cm between plants and make sure the soil never dries out after planting.

Care

Water

The soil must always stay wet, even in summer. Top up the pond when the level drops.

Feeding

Not needed. Fertiliser in the pond encourages algae.

Deadheading

Cut off spent flowers if you do not want seed; leave them if it may self-seed.

Tidying

Remove yellow and dead leaves in autumn so they do not rot in the water.

Division

Every 3–4 years, when the basket is full or the clump flowers less in the centre.

Tip: Plant it in wet bank soil or in a planting basket up to 5 cm under water. It will then be one of the first flowers by the pond, from March.

Marsh marigold: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed. Just tidy away spent flower stems and dead leaves.

How:

• After flowering, cut spent flower stems off at the base if you do not want seed.
• In summer and autumn, remove yellow leaves before they fall into the water.
• Leave healthy green leaves: the plant needs them to build up strength.

Caution: Wear gloves: the sap irritates the skin.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

After flowering, in May–June, or in September: lift the clump from the soil or basket and cut it with a sharp knife into pieces, each with roots and a few buds. Replant straight away.

Seed

Sow fresh seed as soon as it ripens in a pot of wet soil standing in a tray of water. Seedlings take a few years to flower.

Marsh marigold: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in or by the pond.
• The basket can simply stay in the water.
• Clear dead leaves in autumn so they do not lie rotting in the pond over winter.

Diseases and pests

• Leaves dying back in summer: After flowering the leaves may die back in a dry summer. Keep the soil wet; the plant will shoot again next spring.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves, especially when the soil is dry. Keep the soil wet and remove affected leaves.
• Aphids: On young shoots and flower buds. Spray them off with water; fish and ladybirds help too.
• Poor flowering: Usually too much shade or soil that is too dry. Move it to a sunnier, wetter spot.

Through the year

• March: First flowers. Plant.
• April: In full flower. Plant.
• May: Last flowers. Cut spent stems or let the seed ripen.
• June: Divide after flowering. Sow fresh seed.
• July: Keep an eye on the water level; the soil must stay wet.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Clear yellow leaves.
• November: Remove dead leaves from the pond.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of marsh marigold are poisonous, especially when fresh: the sap contains protoanemonin, the same acrid compound as in buttercups, which causes a burning feeling in the mouth, vomiting and stomach ache, and redness and small blisters on the skin. The flower buds were once sometimes pickled as capers: do not do this, not even cooked or in vinegar. It grows at the edge of a pond or in a wet meadow: keep children, dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs away, do not let horses or cows reach it and never throw fresh trimmings into a field or pen. Wear gloves when planting and dividing. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The yellow ‘petals’ are actually sepals: marsh marigold has no true petals.
• In Flemish and Dutch nature conservation, damp hay meadows where it grows in abundance are named after it: ‘marsh marigold hay meadows’.
• It grows naturally across much of the northern hemisphere, from Europe to Asia and North America.