The Marsh Marigold or King Cup (Caltha palustris), is a member of the buttercup family and one of our most ancient plants. Its bright golden-yellow cup-shaped flower, like a large, stout buttercup, lights up marshy places, damp meadows, wet woodland, ditches, pond margins and watersides in the High Weald.
Marsh Marigold flowers from early spring through to summer, providing early nectar for insects and dark, shiny leaves which give shelter for frogs. Creating, restoring and looking after wet habitats helps Marsh Marigolds. They can also be bought as perennial plug plants, or in aquatic baskets, for planting in shallow water like pond edges or wetland habitats.
More information
See our pond management advice on creating, managing and restoring ponds and bankside habitats for wildlife.