Cowslip

Caltha palustris (KAL-tha pal-US-triss)

Family: Ranunculaceae Native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Caltha palustris , or Marsh marigold, is a native rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the buttercup (Ranuculaceae) family that can be found from Newfoundland to Alaska south to Nebraska, Tennessee and North Carolina. The common name, Marsh marigold, is misleading because it does not look like, nor is it related to, marigolds. Marsh marigold is perfect for water gardens, pond edges, rain gardens, and wet, boggy areas in the landscape because it requires constant moisture and tolerates wet soil. It is an early bloomer in the spring with striking yellow flowers on tall, 12 to 18 inch, hollow, branching stems. For best flowering, you should site the plant in full sun, however, full sun in the summer may force the plant to go dormant. This can be rectified with a site that provides some afternoon shade in the summer. Marsh marigold is low maintenance, easy to grow, and will spread in your yard by seed or by division of rhizomes dug up in the fall and replanted in early spring. It is listed as endangered on the North Carolina Protected Plant list. Marsh marigold is deer resistant. It can also be a greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes. Caltha palustris can be confused with Ficaria verna and Geum radiatum . Ficaria is weedy, but Geum radiatum could be considered an alternative. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to powdery mildew and rust.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.