Caltha palustris Polypetala

Caltha palustris 'Polypetala' is a semi-aquatic perennial herbaceous plant with a rhizome, found on the edge of ponds and streams. It is very hardy and one of the first spring blooms in ponds and watercourses. With its simple golden yellow flowers resembling buttercups, the Marsh Marigold produces better flowers in full sun, but it is capable of illuminating partially shaded flower beds in the heat of summer. Each flower has a large bundle of stamens, useful for the survival of many pollinating insects in early spring. It can be grown in any good garden soil as long as it is moist.

In a small rounded clump of 30cm (12in), the marsh marigold (sometimes called Caltha palustris subsp. polypetala) is ideal for dressing the edges of a body of water such as a pond, a lake, or even a natural swimming pool and ensuring the transition to the rest of the garden. Its heart-shaped, deciduous, shiny leaves are deep green with a hint of purple, wide and thick.

Marsh Marigold belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. It is native to temperate regions of the north (Europe and America) where it grows wild in exclusively wet environments: ditch edges, streams and marshes and wet meadows. The genus Caltha comes from the Greek word calathos, which means basket, referring to the shape of the flowers.

Your pond should maintain its balance (i.e., clear water) by combining the following trio: floating plants (Water Lily and Nymphaea), submerged plants with strong oxygenating power (Water Crowfoot, Pondweed, and Water Lettuce), and very shallow water plants on the edge (Japanese Iris, Fern, and Horsetail).

Green the edges with more sophisticated and sculptural plants to create an enchanting tableau, such as Virginia Sweetspire Little Henry (a small fragrant white bush) and Variegated Sweet Flag (Acorus grass).