Marsh marigold, the description of which will be brought to your attention in this article, is an elegant spring primrose that adorns the still bare dark earth with its bright yellow flowers and almost lacquered dark green leaves.
In the language of flowers, this plant means thoughtfulness. Indeed, one 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" (C altha Palustris) came from, one can argue for a long time. So, some researchers believe that the name of this representative of the Buttercup family is closely related to the place of its growth. After all, the word "kaluzhnitsa" is a derivative of the dialectism "kaluga", which meant a swampy, swampy place. And in the related Ukrainian language, there is the word "kaluzha", which means a puddle, a wet piece of land.
Dahl's dictionary offers other names for this moisture-loving plant: yellowhead, yellow-eye, night blindness, water snake, patching, cow grass, nail color, etc.p.
The last name is obviously associated with the healing properties of the plant, which helps with diseases of the nails. And the Slavs called the Old Russian word “patching” broad-leaved near-water plants.
Features of the growth of marigold
In nature, there are about 40 species of the described primrose. It also has a huge habitat that covers Western and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East, Japan and North America.
Marsh marigold is a variable plant. So, 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 the form of large groups, which is greatly facilitated by the well-developed ability for vegetative propagation of primrose.
Roots of marigold are thin, fibrous. With the onset of heat, they raise a straight hollow stem, branching in its upper part.
The rounded thick leaves of the flower have a noticeable fan-shaped pattern of light divergent veins. By the way, marigold leaves that grow underwater are dark red, but when they are on land, they gradually turn green.
How marsh marigold blooms
Marigold begins to bloom in April. At this time, the leaves on the trees, as a rule, are still folded 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, yellow paint can be obtained from this representative of ranunculus!
Marsh marigold successfully uses its flowers to attract insects. The shiny, pearly petals of the primrose focus the sun's rays, which raises the temperature inside the flowers and attracts insects that want to climb inside and bask. And this, in turn, greatly increases the chances of the new-found "stove" for pollination.
Fructification of marigold
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 basal leaves for vegetation, 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 almost invisible among the lush greenery.
A young seedling plant is formed for a long time: the first time it blooms only at the age of ten.
Especially popular with gardeners is marsh terry marigold, which has white and pale yellow inflorescences with many petals. It is planted in open and highly humid places (for example, on the banks of artificial reservoirs), where it takes root perfectly. 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, herpes. This plant is good for painful menstruation.in women.
In folk medicine marsh marigold is not very popular. It is used as one of the components in mixtures in the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder, kidney 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 marigold blooms, its ground part (namely, the upper leaves and buds) is collected for medical and culinary needs. This usually happens from the end of April to May.
So 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.
The roots of the marigold are dug up both in spring and late autumn.
How marigold is used in cooking
Despite the poisonousness (though weak), in cooking, primrose is processed into a very tasty spicy product, which is called "German capers". To do this, 500 grams of unblown 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 s alt and sugar, pepper and bay leaf. The marinade is poured over the buds and boiled. Finished capers are hermetically sealed in sterilized glass containers. Themused for dressing second courses, hodgepodges and cabbage soup.
In the Caucasus, the tops of young shoots, on which there are unblown flowers, are dried. And in winter they are added to roasts and meat dishes. If the roots are boiled in s alt water, then they can also become an excellent seasoning for fish and meat.
How marigold poisoning manifests itself
Despite the healing properties of marigold marigold, it is characterized by toxicity, which is especially pronounced before the start of the flowering period. Therefore, when using 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 has a change in the color of urine, urination becomes more frequent, albuminuria (increased protein content in the urine) is detected, in addition, patients complain of dizziness and tinnitus.
Poisoning with marigold is treated by gastric lavage, saline laxatives and enveloping agents. But all this should be under the supervision of a doctor!
If you burned the skin or mucous membranes with the juice of the named plant, then the affected areas must be washed with warm water and lubricated with a solution of methylene blue, and take an anti-allergic drug inside, which will reduce irritation at the site of the burn.
Feed value
As a feed for livestock, marsh marigold, which is described in this article, is not used. Since the toxic substances in it immediately make themselves felt. True, goatsrefuse young shoots, and pigs eat the roots with pleasure.
Wild animals: spotted deer, elks, deer, beavers are admirers of this first spring flower. And the reindeer even hides the summer marigold shoots, so that later, in winter, they can be scooped out from under the snow and eat.
Seeds, which are carried by water and washed ashore by the current, are excellent food for birds.
Where is the best place to grow marigold in the garden
To make wonderful sunny flowers delight you near the house at the beginning of spring, you can plant marigolds on your plot.
For this you need to remember that it requires open spaces and sufficient moisture. It is under these conditions that the plant will bloom profusely. True, if the marigold is constantly watered, then it can grow in dry areas.
Marsh marigold requires rich fertile soil, and with a lack of lighting and moisture, the plant does not bloom so abundantly and quickly loses its decorative qualities. With sufficient care, the bush grows in width and spreads with the help of creeping shoots.
How best to transplant marigold
Every 3-4 years, the plant needs to be rejuvenated, as it loses its decorative effect. For 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 reproduce in early spring or autumn (September). During the growing season, this is also possible to do, butmarigold may in such cases begin to drop leaves and wilt, although it does not die.
The larger the transplanted part of the bush, the more abundant and sooner the flowering will begin. But small delenki begin to bloom, as a rule, only the next year.
Marigold care
The described primrose is a frost-resistant, unpretentious plant that gardeners appreciate. Caring for it involves weeding and timely watering. In one place, this decoration of the spring garden can grow for a long time, delighting the eye with beautiful, bright petals, ahead of the beginning of flowering of tulips and daffodils and lasting until the summer.
A final word
Despite its vast range and unpretentiousness, one of the less and less common plants is marigold marigold. The Red Book of Rossi included this primrose on its pages as an unappreciated plant. That is, those whose number is not yet possible to determine. And it will be a pity if, with the coming spring, they do not wake up in swampy ravines and by quiet rivers, bright as the rays of the sun, cheerful marigolds. Take care of nature!
