Marsh marigold in Polish herbals and art

​     Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) is a lovely harbinger of spring. As its name suggests, marsh marigold grows in wet places such as marshes, ditches and woods in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows wild throughout Poland, blooming from April through May and is commonly known as kaczeniec or knieć błotna. 

Kaczeńce.(Marsh marigold). 1908. Józef Chelmonski Muzeum Narodowa W Warszawie (National Museum in Warsaw).

 ← In his Dykcyjonarz roslinny (Dictionary of plants…) published in 1786, Polish naturalist Krzysztof Kluk calls it majowka błotna, describing its presence in  muddy waters during the month of May.

 “...It grows in wet meadows. It flowers in April and May. The flowers and leaves are much liked by cattle and goats and, if young and tender, by sheep. If a cow eats it, her butter will be yellowish. The flower, boiled with alum, will give a yellow color to thread. The flower buds, while hard, if marinated can take the place of capers on the table...”

In his  Rośliny w wierzeniach i zwyczajach ludowych (Plants in folk beliefs and customs), professor Adam Fisher also mentions its use as a dye for pisanki (decorated Easter eggs) when used in conjunction with the bark of the apple tree. He adds that medicinally, in Zakopane in the Nowy Targ region, a deconcoction was made to cleanse puss-filled wounds that wouldn’t heal.

---

​The lovely yellow flowers and dark green, heart shaped leaves  caught the eye of many Polish painters including Stanisław Wyspiański ​.

   Kaczeńce. Stanisław Wyspiański. 1895-6) Muzeum Narodowy w Kielcach (National Museum in Kielce)
 
He collected floral motifs during his wanderings to the Wisła River, Bielany and the area of Panieńskie Skały around Kraków. He wrote of his preference for flowers and herbs in a letter to his friend Lucjana Rydel: "I pulled the most lush flower bushes from the meadows and rocks near Bielany and brought the whole bunch home (...) how I like to sit among these flowers. Hollyhocks, mullein, what wonderful plants, what soaring shapes, how lively they are, what talkative flowers."  The artist kept a sketchbook and wanted to publish his own herbal titled "Studium roślin stylizowanych, a materiałów dla celów zdobnictwa dekoracyjnego (a "Study of stylized plants and materials for decorative purposes), but the work was never realized. His love of  flowers can be found in his numerous portrait paintings or as part of his work on the interior decorations of the Franciscan church in Kraków. 

Vase with marsh marigolds. Alfons Karpinski. 1934       Marigolds in floodwaters on the Biebrza.                                                                                                            Aleksander Żywiecki (1962- ) 

  If you live in the northeastern United States, keep an eye out for marsh marigolds on your spring walks or hikes through boggy areas of woods or meadows.  Lucky for us they are also fairly easy to grow and maintain in gardens if the soil remains consistently moist such as in problematic wet areas. While they bloom more profusely in full sun they can tolerate some shade. If you are an artist and so inclined, make sketch and begin your own herbal or take a photo to document how your garden grows.

​For more on the plants and flowers of Poland: Polish Herbs, Flowers and Folk Medicine. 2020. Hippocrene  Books, Inc.