Cowslip aka Marsh Marigold

In early spring, if you are near any wet mucky areas, you may get to see the bright yellow flowers of the Cowslip aka Marsh Marigold. In most wildflower guides they are called Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris). They do look a little bit like butter cups, and that is because they actually are in the buttercup family. These wildflowers can be found at edges of ponds and moist areas, in shallow water, in hardwood swamps, in marshes, ditches, wet woods, and any swampy areas. They do best in open or partly shaded areas. I have a friend down state who planted them in her back yard, which was not a wet area and they did very well there without a lot of water or watering. The native Marsh Marigold, aka Cowslip, has heart or kidney shaped leaves appearing in early spring with five to nine sepals, not petals that make up the butter cup like flowers. The plants reach heights of 8-24 inches and the flowers are 1 to 1-1/2 inches across.

The Marsh Marigold’s scientific name, Caltha palustris has Greek and Latin sources.  Caltha from old Greek, and later Latin, meaning ‘chalice’ or ‘cup’.  Palustris from Latin meaning ‘of the marsh’ where the plant is usually found.

Germans call it  “Sumpfdotterblume” (Sumpf = marsh; Dotter = yolk of egg  because its color is similar to that of the yolk of an egg; and Blume = flower). Other common names include Goldencup, Cowflock, Water Blobs, May Blobs, Mollyblobs, Horseblobs, Bull’s Eyes, Leopard’s Foot, Marybuds, and Kingcup. The heart or kidney shaped leaves are 3 to 7 inches wide with two lobes at their base. The stems are hollow. Their roots are deep and tangled. The flowers are in clusters of 1 to 6 cup shaped,and they are waxy yellow in color. They have 5 sepals (no petals). Their common name, Cowslip here in the Northeast, refers to something a lot of us, unfortunately, can sort of relate to having experienced. If you have ever walked in a cow pasture one knows that stepping onto a cow patty can be a very slippery and yucky event. Because cow pastures contain areas where the Cowslip plant likes to grow, they are especially healthy, dense, and full when they are surrounded by cow patties. Occasionally a cow will not see the patties under the foliage and or flowers and when they step into their own well hidden patties, the “cow slips.” I hate to admit it, but that happened to me once at my Uncle Joe and Aunt Hattie’s cow pasture on Sugar Bush Island.

Various Native Americans have and do use the plant as medicine, however, it is important to know that the whole plant contains the toxin glycoside protoanemonin. The toxin can be destroyed by proper heating. NOTE: One should never try to use plants as medicines unless you are well versed in their contents and know how to identify and prepare them. You should also consult with your doctor, too, before taking them. The sap of Marsh Marigold, when the plant is handled, can also irritate sensitive skin. The flowers, roots, and leaves of this plant must be well cooked. The boiled roots were used treat colds and sores, and as an aid in childbirth. It will induce vomiting, and some nations even use a concoction of the root as a protection against love charms. Infusions of the leaves are used for constipation. It is used as an: Anodyne; Antirheumatic; Antispasmodic; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Expectorant; Irritant; Rubefacient; and to remove warts.  A poultice of the boiled and mashed roots some apply to sores. Every part of this plant is an irritant, so it should be used with great caution.

The flowers have a very distinctive and fresh fragrance, which is why they were once used in making the fermented liquor called Cowslip Wine. English farmers made Cowslip blossom wine since Saxon times. They also made a pulpy jam for their scones.  The wine was made from the “peeps,” which are the yellow sepal (petal like) rings, in the following way: A gallon of “peeps” is mixed with 4 lbs. of lump sugar and the rind of 3 lemons was added to a gallon of cold spring water. A cup of fresh yeast was then added and the liquor stirred everyday for a week. It was then put into a barrel with the juice of the lemons and left to “work.” When “quiet,” it was corked down for eight or nine months and finally bottled. The wine had to be perfectly clear and of a pale yellow color. They also made a yellow dye from its flowers, but it was not very permanent. Marsh Marigold was mentioned in Shakespeare’s works (about 400 years ago) under the old name “Marybuds.” In Shakespeare’s work it was said that, “Winking Mary-bud with golden eye,”  if picked with care and worn, it would stop anyone from speaking an angry word to the wearer.

In medieval times, Marsh Marigold was used during church festivals to honor the Virgin Mary, and it was a popular flower in May Day celebrations. The name Marsh Marigold refers not only to the marshes where the plant grows, but “Marigold” or “Mary gold”, which probably  refers to its association with the Virgin Mary. A German legend tells a story of the first Marsh Marigold. A maiden named Caltha (meaning “cup” in Greek) who fell so in love with the sun God she spent her days and nights in the fields, trying to see as much as possible of him, finally her body and spirit wasted away. The first Marsh Marigold, a cup filled with the sun’s rays, grew where the devoted maiden stood. Marsh Marigolds must have been a familiar and welcome sight to early settlers in New England as far back as the pilgrims.

Like the Native Americans before them, colonists picked the young leaves in springtime, boiled them in a few changes of water, and ate them like spinach.

The following is a poem containing the Marsh Marigold by  George Markham Tweddell 1823 - 1903. His poems tell the story of his life, his quest for justice, peace and enlightenment, his joys and sorrows, his wit and cunning and much more:

Bonnie Marsh Marigold adorns the brook In clumps like burnish’d gold. The earth is now not vile, but fit for angels. We must sow the seeds of virtue broadcast, and may look for happiness when we obey the laws of Nature, which are God’s: when we rebel In our own minds we carry the real hell, which burns to punish all who may oppose the great Creator’s will. ‘T was never meant mankind should be unhappy. Earth and sky unite to ask us the real reason why such misery is ours: for God has sent all that is needful for our happiness,—Only we hate each other when we should caress.

I searched for more trivia about Marsh Marigolds, but I could not find many sites with that kind of information. I did, however, find a site that listed the meanings of flowers for the purpose of conveying thoughts. It said that in the 1600s in Constantinople (what is now Istanbul), flowers gained meanings which enabled lovers to convey messages to each other without having to write or talk. This language of flowers was introduced to Europe by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a celebrated letter-writer and society poet who, in 1716, accompanied her husband to the Turkish Court in Istanbul. During her stay, she sent a Turkish love letter to England which interpreted the meanings of some plants, flowers, and spices. The wonder of flowers, she proposed, was that words and messages of love - even altercations - could be passed in a refined and subtle manner without ‘inking the fingers’.

More than 800 flowers have special meanings associated with them. There are over 30 for roses alone. You will find the meaning for Cowslip in the list below. Also, the way in which the flowers are worn and presented have a meaning in addition to the sentiments attached to the individual flowers. A flower bent towards the right would signify “I”, while one extending to the left would signify “you”. For example,  a red rosebud leaning to the left would say: “You are pure and lovely”. I will give you some of these flowers and their meanings up to the letter ( C ). If you wish to read the rest you can find them at: (http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/didyouknow/flowers.asp#c)

A

Adversity, energy in - Camomile

Admiration - Amethyst

Adoration - Dwarf sunflower

Addresses rejected - Ice plant

Advice - Rhubarb

Affectation - Morning glory

Afterthought - Michaelmas Daisy

Age - Guelder rose

Agreement - Straw

Always lovely - Indian double pink

Am I forgotten? - Holly

Ambition - Mountain laurel

Amiability - Jasmine

Anticipation - Gooseberry

Anxious and trembling - Red columbine

Appointed meeting - Everlasting pea

Ardent Love - Balsam

Argument - Fig

Assignation - Pimpernel

Attachment - Indian jasmine

Audacity - Larch

B  

Bantering - Southernwood

Bashful shame - Deep red rose

Bashfulness - Peony

Be mine - Four-leaved clover

Beauty - Parti-coloured daisy, rull red rose

Beauty - Orchis

Beauty and prosperity - Red-leaved rose

Beauty, delicate - Hibiscus

*Beauty, divine - American cowslip *

Beauty, mental - Clematis

Belief - Passion-flower

Benevolence - Potato

Beware - Oleander, rosebay

Beware of Excess - Saffron

Blackness - Ebony

Bluntness - Borage

Blushes - Marjoram

Boaster - Hydrangea

Boldness - Pink

Bonds of affection - Gillyflower

Bravery - Oak leaves

C  

Call me not beautiful - Unique rose

Change - Pimpernel

Charity - Turnip

Charming - Cluster of musk roses

Chaste love - Acacia

Cheerfulness in old age - American Starwort

Cheerfulness under adversity - Chrysanthemum

Childishness - Buttercup

Chivalry - Great yellow daffodil

Cleanliness - Hyssop

Coldheartedness - Lettuce

Come down - Jacob’s ladder

Comforting - Scarlet geranium

Compassion - Allspice

Concealed Love - Motherwort

Confession of love - Moss rosebud

Confidence - Lilac polyanthus

Consolation - Red popppy

Cordiality - Peppermint

Crime - Tamarisk

Criticism - Cucumber

Cure for heartache - Cranberry, swallow-wort

Curiosity - Sycamore