Marigold terry planting care. Marsh marigold: plant varieties, description and its use. Medicinal properties of marigold

Marigold is a perennial, unpretentious herbaceous plant that blooms with bright yellow flowers in late April. The bushes of some types of marigold reach a height of 120 cm; the juicy green leaves remain decorative all summer.

Gradually growing along the banks of garden ponds, marigold creates a natural frame for the reservoir, plunging in places up to 15 cm into the water in the coastal zone.

Types of marigold

The plant belongs to the buttercup family, the most famous are:

  • marsh marigold is a poisonous plant up to 80 cm high with flowers 4 cm in diameter;
  • multi-petaled - low bushes, medium-sized flowers, reaching 8 cm in diameter;
  • fistula - the bush reaches a height of 1.2 m, the flower is up to 7 cm in diameter.

Features of caring for marigold

A necessary condition for normal development and flowering for this plant is sufficient moisture. Marigold is not picky about soil; it will grow even on clay soil, but only if it is provided with sufficient watering and sunlight.

Glossy, rich yellow flowers of marigold can be found in swamps, along the banks of rivers and lakes in cool and cold climate zones throughout the planet. Used in gardening to decorate artificial ponds and fountains. Varieties with flowers have been developed:

  • simple;
  • semi-double;
  • terry.

The plant is frost-resistant, easily propagated by seeds, cuttings, and dividing the bush.

Vegetative propagation

Popular garden varieties

Terry marigolds of the varieties Multiplex, Plena, Flore Pleno have been bred with yellow flowers reaching a diameter of 5 cm. The degree of terry reaches 98%, in appearance the flower resembles a rose or a dahlia.

Marigold Flore Pleno

A bush with simple flowers also looks attractive: the white corollas of the Alba variety with a yellow eye bloom longer than the double forms.

Marsh marigold belongs to the perennial grass of the buttercup family. It is distinguished by a cord-like, bundle-shaped root, an erect stem about 40 cm high. Most often, marigold can be seen in Russia; it can also grow in the cold zone - Scandinavia and Iceland. Marigold is a poisonous plant, but it also has beneficial properties - it is an excellent analgesic, diuretic and anticonvulsant. What beneficial properties does marsh marigold have?

Description of marsh marigold

Marigold is popularly called butter-colored, cow-colored, greasy-colored, and yolk-colored.

This is a very beautiful primrose. Emerald leaves have yellow flowers. This perennial plant can form different bushes, the height of which is up to 35 cm.

It is distinguished by leathery, dense leaves that have rounded edges. The diameter of the inflorescence reaches 5 cm.

Marigold is a completely poisonous plant; after the leaves fade, they begin to darken and grow. This plant loves moisture, so it populates near the banks of a pond, in a swamp forest, or in a wet meadow. Most often it grows in the European part of Russia, and can be found in Siberia, the Far East and Central Asia.

The rhizome of marigold is distinguished by cord-like lobes. The stem is most often bare and branches quite a bit, reaching a height of up to 20 cm. In a meadow, the stem reaches 50 cm; if the marigold has grown near a river, it can be higher than 3 meters.

The leaves are 80 mm wide, then can reach 300 mm, dark green in color.

The lower leaves are attached to the petiole; those that grow under water are red-violet in color; those above water are dark green.

The plant has many flowers, they can be large, have a golden yellow color, and have many stamens and pistils.

Sometimes the plant blooms again in early September. The seeds are ready at the beginning of autumn.

Useful properties of marigold

The herb is used in the treatment of asthma, fever, dropsy, bronchitis, urinary tract diseases, rheumatism, scrofula, and pain during menstruation. In some cases, with the help of marigold, various inflammatory processes, burned areas of the skin and wounds are treated.

We must not forget that marigold is a poisonous plant, which is why it is used in small quantities. Most often it is used as an external remedy. Leaves, buds of flowers that have not yet bloomed, and stems can be used for medicinal purposes.

Marigold juice is used as an emetic and laxative. Moreover, the plant is antibacterial. Marigold contains vitamin C, fatty oil, linoleic acid, flavonoids, and carotene. The roots contain saponin, which is why marigold produces a lot of foam.

Application of marsh marigold

This plant is not very common in medicine because it is classified as dangerous. But at the same time, the tincture is used to treat diseases of the gallbladder, liver, scurvy and neurosis. Marigold, together with coltsfoot and plantain, is used as an effective infusion against cough.

Juice from marigold leaves is used to heal serious wounds. It has already been proven that the plant has an excellent antitumor effect on the human body.

Marigold can be used for herpes. With the help of this plant you can restore your appetite, so it is added as a spice in small quantities to food.

Since ancient times, this plant has been used in the treatment of eczema, ulcers and other allergic reactions. The leaves are doused with boiling water, wrapped in gauze, then the affected skin is treated with a swab.

In small quantities, decoction and infusion of marigold can be used for fever. When treating a malignant tumor, a specially prepared decoction is used; for this, take 1 tsp. marigold buds, chop them, then pour in 200 ml of water. The mixture must be boiled in a water bath for up to 30 minutes. Then cool and add water. The medicine is drunk 1 tbsp. after meal.

For anemia, this infusion can be used; it will require a teaspoon of marigold root, 200 ml of boiling water, boil for up to 30 minutes. Cool, strain. Take 4 times a day after meals.

This decoction will help overcome prostatitis - it will require half a teaspoon of the root, 200 ml of water, boil everything for up to 5 minutes, take 50 ml of the decoction 4 times a day for up to two weeks.

Harvesting marsh marigold flowers

Marigolds are distinguished by bright yellow flowers. They are located at the end of the branches of the stems that creep. They begin to bloom in April, but harvesting must be done in May. After you collect the flowers, you need to dry them best in the shade in the air.

Contraindications to the use of marigold

This plant is poisonous, so it is very important to consult with a specialist before using it, and it is also very important to follow the dosage when preparing medicines from marigold. Individual intolerance to this plant can often occur. If the dosage is increased, intoxication may occur. The plant should not be consumed by pregnant women or nursing mothers.

If you take the plant internally, you may experience severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and irritation of the mucous membranes and skin.

Thus, the roots, herbs, flowers and leaves from marsh marigold are used for various purposes, and with their help you can get rid of many diseases. The medicinal plant is used in cases where metabolism is disturbed, a person suffers from scrofula or colds. An infusion of marigold grass is used in the treatment of bronchial asthma, cough, whooping cough, urinary tract diseases, and fever. But you need to be careful with this type of plant, because it has a toxic effect on the body. If you take it yourself without following the dosage, poisoning may occur. Marigold is also used in cooking as a spice; for this, the flower buds need to be boiled in boiling water, marinated in vinegar, and can be added to salads, solyanka and borscht. Boiled rhizome can be added to fish, meat, and flour when baking bread.

Marsh marigold, a description of which will be brought to your attention in this article, is an elegant plant decorating the still bare dark earth with its bright and almost lacquered dark green leaves.

In the language of flowers, this plant means thoughtfulness. Indeed, you cannot pass by this amazing joyful sunny flower without thinking about how beautiful the world is!

Why is marigold so called?

Where, in fact, the name “marsh marigold” (Caltha Palustris) came from can be debated for a long time. Thus, some researchers believe that the name of this representative is closely related to the place of its growth. After all, the word “marigold” is a derivative of the dialectic “kaluga”, which meant a marshy, swampy place. And in the related Ukrainian language there is the word “kalyuzha”, meaning a puddle, a wet piece of land.

Dahl's dictionary offers other names for this yellowhead, yelloweye, water snake, patch, cow grass, nail flower, etc.

The last name is obviously associated with the healing properties of the plant, which helps with nail diseases. And the Old Russian word “patching” was used by the Slavs to call broad-leaved semi-aquatic plants.

Features of the growth of marigold

In nature, there are about 40 species of the described primrose. It also has a huge growing area, which covers Western and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East, Japan and North America.

Marsh marigold is a variable plant. Thus, its forms are known that develop in water or have floating leaves. Depending on the conditions in which this flower grows, it can reach up to 60 cm in height. It can be found both in the form of thickets and in large groups, which is greatly facilitated by the well-developed ability for vegetative propagation of the primrose.

The roots of marigold are thin and fibrous. With the onset of warmth, they raise a straight, hollow stem, branching in its upper part.

The round, thick leaves of the flower have a noticeable fan-shaped pattern of light diverging veins. By the way, marigold leaves growing underwater are dark red in color, but once on land they gradually turn green.

How marsh marigold blooms

Marigold begins to bloom in April. At this time, the leaves on the trees are usually still curled into buds. Its unbearably yellow large (up to 5 cm in circumference) flowers delight us until May. On one plant they can sometimes be counted up to twenty. By the way, you can get yellow paint from this representative of the buttercups!

The marsh marigold successfully uses its flowers to attract insects. The primrose's shiny, pearlescent petals focus the sun's rays, which raises the temperature inside the flowers and attracts insects to crawl inside and bask. And this, in turn, greatly increases the chances of the newly-minted “stove” to pollinate.

Marigold fruiting

The fruits of the described plant are carried by water in the form of leaflets, which can simultaneously contain up to three thousand seeds, after which the flowering shoots die off, leaving the basal leaves for the growing season, because the plant needs to accumulate reserves for early flowering next year.

In summer, marigold leaves become even wider, but at this time they are practically invisible among the lush greenery.

A young seedling plant takes a long time to form: it blooms for the first time only at the age of ten.

Particularly popular among gardeners is the double marsh marigold, which has white and pale yellow inflorescences with many petals. It is planted in open and heavily moist places (for example, on the banks where it takes root well. The plant also tolerates shade well if it is from deciduous plants.

The use of marigold in medicine

In homeopathy, marigold, or rather its fresh flowering shoots, is used in the treatment of whooping cough, bronchitis, and herpes. This plant helps well with painful menstruation in women.

In folk medicine, marsh marigold is not particularly popular. It is used as one of the components in mixtures in the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder, kidneys or cough. The juice of marigold leaves reduced warts. A decoction of the roots is used for metabolic disorders and anemia. In addition, it also has a slight antitumor effect.

Collection and storage

When the marsh marigold blooms, its above-ground part (namely the upper leaves and buds) is collected for medical and culinary needs. This usually occurs from late April to May.

To ensure that the collected raw materials do not lose their healing properties, they are immediately laid out to dry in a well-ventilated area. And when using special dryers, the temperature in them should not rise above 50 °C.

Marigold roots are dug up both in spring and late autumn.

How is marigold used in cooking?

Despite its toxicity (albeit weak), in cooking primroses are processed into a very tasty spicy product, which is called “German capers”. To do this, 500 grams of unopened buds are poured with boiling water and kept for three hours. Then drain the water and prepare the marinade. It requires a liter of vinegar, a tablespoon of salt and sugar, pepper and bay leaf. The marinade is poured over the buds and boiled. Ready capers are hermetically sealed in sterilized glass containers. They are used to season second courses, solyanka and cabbage soup.

In the Caucasus, the tops of young shoots that have unopened flowers are dried. And in winter they are added to roasts and meat dishes. If the roots are boiled in salted water, they can also become an excellent seasoning for fish and meat.

How does marigold poisoning manifest?

Despite the healing properties of marsh marigold, it is characterized by toxicity, which is especially pronounced before the flowering period begins. Therefore, when consuming the plant, you need to be careful.

Poisoning is manifested by signals from the gastrointestinal tract: bloating, abdominal pain, loose stools. Sometimes it also affects the kidneys, then the patient experiences a change in the color of the urine, urination becomes more frequent, albuminuria (increased protein content in the urine) is detected, in addition, patients complain of dizziness and tinnitus.

Marigold poisoning is treated by gastric lavage, saline laxatives and enveloping agents. But all this should happen under the supervision of a doctor!

If you burn your skin or mucous membranes with the juice of the named plant, then the affected areas should be washed with warm water and lubricated with a solution of methylene blue, and an antiallergic drug should be taken orally, which will reduce irritation at the burn site.

Feed value

Marsh marigold, the description of which is offered in this article, is not used as feed for livestock. Since the toxic substances contained in it immediately make themselves felt. True, goats do not refuse young shoots, and pigs eat the roots with pleasure.

Wild animals: sika deer, elk, deer, beavers are admirers of this first spring flower. And he even hides the summer shoots of marigold, so that later, in winter, he can rake them out from under the snow and eat them.

The seeds, which are carried by water and washed to the banks by the current, are excellent food for birds.

Where is the best place to grow marigold in a garden plot?

So that you will be pleased with wonderful sunny flowers near your house at the beginning of spring, you can plant marigold on your plot.

To do this, you need to remember that it requires open areas and sufficient moisture. It is under these conditions that the plant will bloom profusely. True, if marigold is constantly watered, it can grow in dry areas.

Marsh marigold requires rich, fertile soil, and with a lack of light and moisture, the plant does not bloom so profusely and quickly loses its decorative qualities. With sufficient care, the bush grows in width and spreads with the help of creeping shoots.

What is the best way to replant marigold?

Every 3-4 years the plant must be rejuvenated, as it loses its decorative effect. To do this, a transplant is performed, which is combined with reproduction.

The most effective way for gardeners to do this is to divide the bush. It is best to propagate in early spring or autumn (September). During the growing season, this can also be done, but in such cases the marigold may begin to shed its leaves and wither, although it does not die.

The larger the transplanted part of the bush, the more abundant and sooner the flowering will begin. But small divisions begin to bloom, as a rule, only the next year.

Caring for marsh marigold

The described primrose is a frost-resistant, unpretentious plant that is valued by gardeners. Caring for it involves weeding and timely watering. In one place, this decoration of the spring garden can grow for a long time, pleasing the eye with beautiful, bright petals that anticipate the beginning of flowering of tulips and daffodils and last until summer.

A few final words

Despite its huge range and unpretentiousness, one of the increasingly rare plants is the marsh marigold. Rossi's Red Book included this primrose on its pages as unrated plants. That is, those whose number cannot yet be determined. And it will be a great pity if, with the coming spring, cheerful marigolds, bright as the rays of the sun, do not wake up in the swampy ravines and quiet rivers. Protect the environment!

Marigold is one of the wonderful primroses - the harbingers of spring.
In nature, everyone has seen squat marigold bushes in early spring, forming bright and elegant clumps.

Marsh marigold(Caltha palustris) is a perennial herbaceous early flowering plant that prefers moist and bright places.
Wide bushes of marsh marigold invariably attract attention with their shiny dark green leaves, round in shape, reminiscent of a heart. The simple bright yellow flowers of natural marigold, beautiful in their simplicity and similar in structure to a buttercup, are striking and noticeable from afar.

It is not surprising that marigold is very popular among gardeners who have a garden pond. But in my garden, this decorative primrose grows beautifully even without a pond - I just need to water the moisture-loving marigold more often...

Varieties of marigold

Breeders have developed wonderful varieties and hybrids of large-flowered garden marigold with a more compact bush; with flowers of different colors, shapes and degrees of terry.

The varieties of marigold “Plena” and “Flore Pleno” are valuable for their double yellow flowers with a lush “skirt”. Marigold variety "Multiplex" has large leaves and large double golden flowers.
Terry marigold is a real pearl among spring-flowering plants used to decorate a garden pond.
The terry marigold flower resembles a rose with many petals, or a pompom-shaped dahlia. The diameter of the garden hybrid marigold flower reaches 5 cm or more, and the doubleness is 95-98%.
Marigold “pom-pom” flowers, located on branching stems, rise spectacularly above the glossy leaves. The golden-yellow flowering of double marigold will delight you until the end of spring.

Simple natural marigold and its garden terry varieties are excellent for growing as a coastal plant on the shore of a pond or in shallow water (no more than 15 cm deep).

The attractive variety of marigold "Alba" has single, white flowers with a yellow center with a diameter of about 2.5 cm. In this variety, the flowers open before the bright green leaves bloom.
Plants of the “Alba” variety also form wide bushes and are very moisture-loving (but, unlike those described above, they do not like shallow water).
Marigold variety "Alba" blooms longer than double varieties, but its white non-double flowers fall faster than double yellow ones.

Growing marigold

Marigold is an unpretentious winter-hardy plant; does not require special attention, but loves to drink plenty of water. Therefore, I often water her bushes, which delight me with charming flowers.
Marigold grows well in rich, fertile soil, in sun or partial shade. More abundant flowering of marigold is observed in a sunny location.
With a lack of moisture, marigold blooms for a short time and not so abundantly, quickly losing its decorative effect.

The lush marigold bush expands over time, spreading to the sides thanks to creeping shoots. After 3-4 years, the marigold grows greatly and becomes less decorative - then it is necessary to rejuvenate the plant and replant it in combination with propagation.

Reproduction of marigold

Marigold can be propagated by sowing fresh seeds or dividing the bush.

The root system of marigold is not strong and goes shallow into the soil.
Vegetative propagation of this plant is simple. I dig up the entire marigold bush with rhizomes in early spring or late summer (until mid-September). I dismember the dug rhizome into several parts (which can be separated from each other without damaging the main root). I immediately plant the resulting divisions in a permanent place, with a distance of about 35 cm from each other.
After planting, the marigold sections need to be watered.
I lightly shade the planted plants on the south side until they take root properly.
Marigold tolerates division and transplantation easily.

For gardeners in the middle zone, it is important that marigold has high winter hardiness. Even young plants that have taken root well before the autumn cold do not require shelter for the winter. Therefore, with sufficient moisture and lighting, there are no problems with growing and abundant flowering of marigold.
I advise everyone to plant this beautiful plant in the garden, even if you do not have a pond.

Pyotr Samsonovich Kiselev (Istra, Moscow region)

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With the arrival of spring, bright yellow primrose flowers appear in the clearings. Beautiful squat bushes, a rounded cap of elegant flowers. This is marigold, which is widely used not only as an ornamental plant, but also as a medicinal remedy.

Marsh marigold: photo and description

Marigold is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Buttercup family. The plant has very few varieties - up to 40, of which 6 grow in the territory of the former USSR. The most popular is the marsh marigold.

The root is represented by cord-like roots collected in a single bundle.


The plant has an erect, bare, very fleshy and leafy stem. As a rule, it is ascending or ascending. Sometimes there are specimens with a recumbent one. In adulthood, the height of the bush reaches approximately 40 cm.

The foliage is shiny, entire, glabrous, alternately arranged, heart-shaped or kidney-shaped and dark green in color. The edge is crenate-toothed or crenate. The bracts are sessile, and the basal foliage is located on long petioles and measures up to 20 cm in width. But the stem leaves have a fleshy structure.

Flowering of marigold (photo presented in the article) occurs in April-May with buds blooming on long peduncles in the amount of 7 pieces. on a bush. The flowers consist of 5 petals and a simple perianth, 2-12 pcs. pistils and many stamens and are colored golden orange or bright yellow.


After flowering, the multileaf fruit ripens. Moreover, their number is the same as how many pestles there were initially. At the end of each leaflet there is a tail, and inside there are about 10 black seeds. The fruit ripens completely in May-June, after which it opens and the seeds fall to the ground.

You need to be very careful with the plant, since the above-ground part is poisonous. Therefore, consuming any parts raw is strictly prohibited. But after cooking, the toxic substances inside are destroyed, and the plant becomes harmless to health.

Terry variety

Another popular variety for the beauty of its flower is terry marigold. The most famous varieties are: Plena, Multiplex, Flore Pleno, which have large terry buds up to 5 cm in diameter, bright yellow in color. Moreover, the terry nature is so strong that in appearance the flower can be confused with a small dahlia.

Marsh marigold: planting and care

The beauty of the plant will delight the eye only with proper planting and cultivation. Let's consider the basic requirements of marigold:

  1. Lighting and soil. It is best to place the flower in good light or low partial shade. Moreover, it is desirable to grow near water bodies, since marigold requires a rich and well-moistened substrate.
  2. Temperature regime. The plant does not express any special requirements for temperature. The only thing is that it is frost-resistant, so even young animals can easily endure winter without shelter.
  3. Watering. With the onset of heat, the plant should be watered quite abundantly. This is also carried out during the growing season.
  4. Humidity. This parameter is very important for the plant. It should be quite tall. If the humidity decreases even for a short time, this will greatly affect the decorativeness of the plant. When choosing a place to plant, pay attention to loam. At the same time, carefully ensure that it does not dry out, much less dry out.
  5. Feeding. With the arrival of spring, the marigold is fed by applying fertilizers of organic origin. Before winter I mulch the bushes. Before flowering, fertilize with mineral fertilizers, which will not only provoke abundant flowering, but also lush flowering.
  6. Transfer. Marigold tolerates a new place of residence very well, so you can replant it without fear. This should be done at any time during the growing season, but preferably in March or September.

Control watering based on soil conditions. If it dries out, water it.

Marsh marigold description of reproduction

The plant reproduces in several ways:

  1. By dividing the bush during transplantation in the fall or spring. To do this, the plant is dug up along with the root plant, divided into bushes of equal roots and planted in their own holes. Next, the plants are shaded from bright rays, watered abundantly and protected from gusts of wind.
  2. Cuttings. During the summer they are cut and then rooted in the ground.
  3. Nodular rooting. With the onset of spring, they make a stem layer (they simply bend the stem to the ground and attach it with a “bracket”) At this node, roots appear over time, and by autumn a separate bush is formed, which can then be separated from the mother plant in the spring and permanently transplanted into its own hole .
  4. There is also a seed propagation method.

Application

Since marigold has not only decorative, but also medicinal value, we will consider two options for its use.

Medical

The plant is widely used in medicine. Since the plant is poisonous, it is used in various collections in minimal quantities (leaves, stems, flowers in buds are used). The medicinal properties of marigold are as follows:

  1. Helps with diseases of the respiratory system (asthma, whooping cough, fever, bronchitis).
  2. It has analgesic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and anticonvulsant, strong antibacterial properties.
  3. Used for dropsy, rheumatism, scrofula.
  4. Often prescribed for the treatment of burns, inflammation, and wounds.
  5. Used for urinary tract diseases.
  6. Relieves women from painful menstruation.
  7. The juice of the plant is an excellent emetic and laxative.

Design solutions

Marigold is an early flowering plant. It is not surprising that landscape designers love it and widely use it to design gardens, parks, borders, and flower beds. This is an excellent plant for decorating ponds, both natural and artificial. Growing well in foliage, the plant will become a real decoration of the shore.

When planting plants in the vicinity of other types of flora, you should select specimens that have similar characteristic data and similar flowering periods. This is necessary so that the flowers do not shade each other. The fading of marigolds is also taken into account: in front of it you need to plant specimens that bloom a little later or have late leaf blooming periods.

Marigold coexists beautifully with red day, soft lungwort, Chinese astilbe, snake knotweed, thickleaf, alpine forget-me-not, and ostrich.

Knowing all the intricacies of planting and growing marigold, you can decorate your pond or garden area. Just remember that the plant is poisonous and wash your hands thoroughly after work.