Shade Loving Native Plants of the
United States & Canada
.
USDA Symbol: CAPA5
USDA Zones: 2 - 9
Shade tolerance: Shade,
Part Shade
Moisture: Wet - moist
Height: 1' - 2’
Propagation: seeds, root division
The shiny yellow flowers of marsh-marigolds are bold and bright in that shady, damp to drenched corner of your yard.
Mid-spring blooms on this buttercup-like perennial last from April to May. In northern climates a slightly smaller species, caltha nutans, comes in white or pink tinged flowers.
The fleshy succulent foliage is coarse and persists after the flowers are gone. That makes these delicate mounds of gold very attractive for groundcover planting when spaced about 12’ apart.
Marsh-marigolds are very useful in the deepest part of a rain gardens if there is continual moisture there, as this is a difficult condition to successfully plant otherwise. They have a high anaerobic (low oxygen) tolerance, which means they can grow well in dense mud.
Growth requirements: Adequate moisture in fine to medium textures soil. The pH range is from 4.9 to 6.8 (acidic)
Benefits: Marsh-marigolds attract birds. Good for soggy places that are consistently wet. High fire tolerance.
Care and Maintenance:
- Very little required.
- Mulch to protect from drying out.
- Plant to avoid direct winter winds.
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