The first post of my scaled back blog. Today’s post is about a plant which is in flower unseasonably early. It should normally be in flower at the end of this month, not the beginning, in fact I saw another example at another site in flower on the 2nd of January. The weather in my part of the UK has been unseasonably mild for a long time, it honestly feels like mid to late March rather than the end of January/beginning of February, and this early flowering is a direct example of this.
What: Marsh-marigold Caltha palustris L.
When: 4th February 2020
Where: Poynton Pool, Cheshire (VC58), UK
Who saw it? Me
How was it recorded? On the iRecord app.
Is it bigger than a blackbird? Hard to tell, just about yes i’d say.
What is it? A member of the buttercup (Rannunculus) family which lives in shallow water and boggy ground; areas of seepage are particularly commonly used. It normally flowers in late winter through to mid-spring in my part of the world. The flowers are typical of the buttercup family, bright yellow in colour but larger in size than common terrestrial buttercups. They are an important source of pollen and nectar for many insect species.
A fact I have learned about this species: They are also known in English as Kingcups.
Is it charismatic in my opinion? As ever it’s hard to tell with a plant, they don’t really do much in all honesty to warrant any charisma. But it seems to be turning into a bell-weather type plant, one that seems to be reflecting our ever-changing climate. A few years ago it was one of my classic signs of spring, but it can no longer be, it flowers throughout winter now seemingly.
A Species a Day 