Marsh marigold

This fleshy-looking perennial herb produces bright yellow flowers measuring 5–7 cm across. As its name suggests, it’s a species typically found along shorelines and in wet habitats.

Marsh marigold usually grows 20–50 cm tall. Its hollow stem bears round, glossy, toothed leaves shaped like a heart or kidney.

The flowers have 5 to 9 sepals, which are the same bright yellow colour and shape as the petals.

The fruit, called a follicle, is a small dry fruit that splits open when mature to release several seeds. The seeds are small (1.5–2 mm), smooth, light to dark brown, and egg-shaped.

In French, the name “populage des marais” likely echoes the Latin populus (“poplar”), pointing to the kind of wet ground where both poplars and marsh marigold are commonly found.