Marsh Marigold - Caltha palustris

The Marsh Marigold, or Kingcup, adds a superb splash of colour to ponds and marshy areas in early spring. The plant is a member of the buttercup family. It had many other names in olden days, including the wonderful 'Mare Blobs', as quoted in John Clare's beautiful poem, Sonnet:

 "I love to see the wild flowers come again, and mare blobs stain with gold the meadow drain".