Marsh Marigold - Western Isles Wildflowers - Yellow Flowers of The Hebrides

Marsh Marigold - Wild Flowers - Native Wildflowers of The Western Isles
You can see these lovely yellow flowers all over The Western Isles.. The sturdy plants with lovely bright yellow flowers (15-50mm across). The bright, glowing yellow flowers of this clump forming, marginal aquatic plant appear in the early springtime.

Latin Name Derivation
The name Caltha derives from the Greek word calathos meaning a cup or goblet, and refers to the shape of the flowers. The specific name comes from the Latin word palus meaning a marsh. The wildflowers grown between one and two feet in height. As you can see from the pictures these wildflower plants just love wet habitats - so it follows that - perhaps that's why we see so many of them here on The Isle of Lewis, Isle of Harris, and the UIsts.

Sepals
The lovely yellow wildflowers have 5 petal like sepals with lots of yellow stamens.

Leaves
The shiny, dark green leaves are large and kidney-shaped They are 3-20 cm across, with a bluntly serrated margin and a thick, waxy texture. The stems are hollow

Greeks Used it as a Dye
The ancient Greeks used it's petals for decoration, to colour foods and cosmetics and as a material dye, .

Buttercup Family
The plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family). The flowers of this showy spring wildflower plant resemble large buttercups rather than the marigolds.

Common Names
This lovely yellow wildflower is often called 'Kingcup' Marsh-marigolds are also known as Mayflower, May-blobs and Water-bubbles, bulls eyes, mollyblobs.. The name Mayflower comes from the custom which used to be practiced, of bringing the flowers into the house and strewing them on doorsteps on a particular day of the year

Good for Insects - Nectar and Pollen
The lovely yellow wildflowers - seen in The Western Isles - are visited by many, many insects. The insects visit for the pollen and for the nectar. The carpets form into green sac-like follicles to 1 cm long, each opening to release several seeds

Medicinal Uses - Warts Anaemia - Colds - Laxative - Birthing Process etc
The marsh marigold has been used to remove warts. The flowers are also used in the treatment anaemia. They are also used to treat colds. A tea made from the leaves is a diuretic and laxative. Marsh marigold have also been used by Native Americans to aid in birthing processes

Medieval Times
The common name of marigold refers to its use in the churches in medieval times - at Easter these flowers were given as a tribute to the 'Virgin Mary'

Plant of Egypt First
Originally a native plant of ancient Egypt, this lovely wildflower plant was first introduced into Britain by the Romans.

Marsh Marigolds - Western Isles Wildflowers