Marsh Marigold

Marsh Marigold’s (Caltha palustris) common name is partially accurate – it does grow in marshes, but it is not closely related to marigolds.  It is also known as Cowslip, a name which is also misleading, as it doesn’t refer to cows losing their footing when walking on this plant.  According to The Secrets of Wildflowers by Jack Sanders, the word literally means “cow slop,” or cow dung, as both the English cowslip, for which it was named, as well as cow paddies were found in the same pastures. People used to believe that butter derived its yellow coloring from the Cowslip flowers that cows ate. In fact, like many other plants in the Buttercup family, it contains irritants that cause most grazers, including cows, to avoid the plant.  Humans do eat the young leaves, but boil them several times to rid them of acrid irritants that could be poisonous.