Each April, Ohio has its own goldrush in our swamp forest and wetlands. No, not that kind of gold but the luscious blossoms of the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). This member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) is one of the first native wildflowers to bloom in its wetland home and is impossible to miss. The large honey-yellow flowers and fleshy green foliage pop off the drab over-wintered landscape.
Marsh marigolds are not only an easy find on the landscape but also easily identified. Their half dollar-sized flowers bear 5-9 golden petal-like sepals surrounded by an attractive cluster of numerous stamens. The basal leaves are fleshy, almost succulent-like in appearance and kidney-shaped with a cordate (heart-shaped) base. They can form loose colonies as they slowly spread by reseeding.
Marsh marigolds occur in a wide variety of wetland habitats. Swamp woods, marshes, fens, springs and seeps, wet meadows along waterways, and even roadside ditches. They prefer sites with plenty of sun early in the season and consistently wet soils, usually from groundwater sources.
Marsh marigolds occur throughout the state but are much more common in the glaciated regions in the western and northern part of the state. They quickly become scarce once you enter the glaciated eastern and southeastern regions. An interesting geographical note about this species is it has a circumboreal distribution, which means it occurs throughout the northern hemisphere from North America through Eurasia.
It should be noted that marsh marigold often seems to be confused with lesser celandine (Ficaria verna). This aggressive non-native, invasive species does look similar but can be told apart by its smaller flowers with more, narrower petals that are a brighter yellow with a waxy appearance. It reproduces very well from its subterranean tubers and can quickly form large, dense colonies that choke out nearly all other vegetation. It tends to occur in lower quality, more disturbed situations.
A few hotspots to see marsh marigolds include Cedar Bog, Eagle Creek, Fowler Woods and Lawrence Woods state nature preserves.
Check back tomorrow for another wildflower species profile! We’ll be covering more spring bloomers and even some summer and fall wildflowers throughout April as we continue to celebrate Ohio’s Native Plant Month!
