Caltha palustris | kingcup

Regular price: $8.99
Regular price
Sale price: $8.99

Shipping calculated at checkout.

4" pot

order now for FALL 2025 shipping or pickup

Grown from seed in living soil without the use of pesticides, chemicals, or carbon fuels.

Commonly known as Marsh Marigold or King Cup (a far more fitting name as it is smothered in golden-yellow buttercup-like flowers come April), this plant makes its home in boggy soils or at the edge of a pond.

Fun fact: The heart-shaped leaves are edible were once used in salads by early settlers in the US.

WARNING: The early settlers may have noshed on this plant, but we do not recommend consuming this or any other pond plant.

Distinctions: Winner of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. Plant of the Year 1999 in Germany.

Zones: 3 to 7
Family: Ranunculaceae
Type: perennial
Height: 12 to 18 in.
Spread: 12 to 18 in.
Exposure: full sun to part shade
Soil: moist, boggy
Bloom Time: April to May
Native Range: temperate regions of North America and Europe, and northern Asia. Native to North America from Newfoundland to Alaska, and south to Nebraska, Tennessee, and North Carolina

image credits

H. Zell,CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GT1976,CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz,CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ordering information

Preorders

You may place your order anytime to reserve plants for fall 2025 shipment. If you place multiple orders, we will combine plants into one box (or as many as needed) and any extra shipping charges will be refunded.

We will resume shipping plants as soon as temperatures cool in our location and yours.

We will check in with you a week before shipping to make sure you receive your plants at a time that is convenient for you.

Shipping

Live plants ship in spring and fall only. Plants may ship dormant, depending on variety and season. Shipping costs are most reasonable when bundling like size plants.

4-inch: 1-6 plants ship for $15.00 / 7-13 plants ship for $18.00 / 14-30 plants ship for $40.00
1-gal: 1-2 plants ship for $18.00 / 3-4 plants ship for $25.00 / 5-6 plants ship for $40.00
trees & shrubs: $27.00-$40.00 each, height dependent
seeds: $6.75 or free with orders over $15.00

We regret that we cannot ship internationally or to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, or WA.

Nursery pick up

Plants can be collected from the nursery Monday through Sunday from 10am-4pm in Spring, Summer, and Fall. We prefer 24 hour notice to get your order together and will email you when ready for collection.

Plant Sizes

We most commonly use the following pot sizes for perennials:

4-inch pot: 3.5" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D
2-quart pot: 6" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D
1-gallon pot: 6.87" H x 8" Dia (this is a true one gallon pot, not the smaller 'trade' one gallon pot used by many nurseries)

Check out our illustrated pot size guide here.

Representative trees & shrubs are photographed in their pots and posted on each plant page.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at The Old Dairy. We grow all of our plants outdoors without the use of chemicals, fertilizers, carbon fuels, or peat.

Many of our perennials are grown in the ground and dug upon order (this is especially true for larger sizes). This practice allows us to grow stronger, healthier plants using native soil, and ultimately reduces our impact on the environment.

Our open-pollinated seeds are collected from plants in our mother beds, which have never been treated with chemicals or sprays of any kind.

Read all about our sustainable practices here.