Information on the Water Marigold

Geography

• The native range of the water marigold includes Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada. In the U.S., water marigolds grow throughout New England southward to Maryland. The perennial plant grows in New York and Pennsylvania into the Midwest, but the Dakotas interrupt the range before it picks up again in the Northwest, including Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Identification

• The rootstalks and rhizomes of the water marigold, buried in the mud of an aquatic environment, produce stems that grow upward to the surface. The leaves underwater grow opposite each other on the stem and are very fine. These divided leaves appear to form a whorl-like pattern on the stem. The leaves on the stalk that are above the surface have serrated edges and a lance shape. The flowers are attractive, bright and yellow, blooming during July though September, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

New Growth

• The flowers of water marigold produce small fruits containing the seeds, usually by late summer and into the fall. The seeds, as well as the stem fragments and the rhizomous root system, have the ability to generate new growth. In winter cold, the water marigold dies back, and only the rootstalk and buried rhizomes survive. Warm temperatures in the spring promote new growth and the cycle of this perennial begins anew.

Importance to Wildlife

• The water marigold is a valuable plant to wildlife within its growing range. Fish use the water marigold as a source of shade in hot weather. Fish also forage around the submerged leaves and hide from potential danger in and around the plant. Shorebird and waterfowl, including ducks and geese, eat the fruit and seeds of water marigold.