Marsh Marigold

On our monthly biodiversity walk on Saturday we saw the first flowering Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) on the canal bank. It's a member of the Ranunculaceae family, which includes buttercups. It's a perennial plant that dies down in autumn and overwinters with its buds near the surface of marshy soil.

We can look out for the micro-moth Micropterix calthella that feeds on Marsh Marigold. Its flight season is from April to early July. It bites open the anther (the pollen-producing part of the stamen) of the Marsh Marigold to eat the pollen. The caterpillars are present in summer and autumn.