Caltha palustris. Aka Cowslip, cowflock, meadow routs and kingcup. Marsh marigold, like other members of the buttercup family, contains the toxic compound ranunculin. Ranunculin may help in fighting tumors; it also acts as a skin irritant. Be wary of touching or tasting this plant. It is edible, but only at certain times of years and with serious precautions. Foragers, wearing gloves, harvest the leaves early in spring, before the flowers bloom, and boil them for thirty minutes in three changes of water for a spinach like green. The buds can also be pickled for a caper like condiment that was supposedly enjoyed by Queen Victoria.

According to Peterson’s Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, the Iroquis used a tea of mashed Marsh Marigold roots to counteract love charms—so perhaps it is an antidote to Heartsease?

In anycase, Marsh Marigolds bloom in early spring and brighten up the wetlands with their glowing yellow flowers and luxuriant leaves. The effect is magical. Observing them, our farmer’s son Soma felt the presence of fairies. It turns out that in England, the plant was used to ward off the mischeif of malignant fairies. I learned about this from Bug Woman, who also tells us that garlands of Marsh Marigold were worn by cattle to protect against the evil eye.