By mid-May, the wildflower procession begins with the yellow marsh marigolds blooming. These bright flowers emerge in the low-lying swamps and wetlands of the Northland, appearing almost overnight like splashes of gold across the landscape.
One of the Northland’s earliest spring wildflowers, marsh marigolds often bloom while patches of snow and ice still linger nearby. Though called marigolds, they are actually members of the buttercup family, their glossy yellow “petals” technically being sepals designed to reflect sunlight and attract early pollinators.
A marsh filled with blooming marsh marigolds beneath still-bare trees is one of spring’s most beautiful mileposts — a quiet reminder that new life has begun again.
“See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come.”
— Song of Solomon 2:11–12
When you notice the wetlands glowing with these golden blossoms, slow down for a moment. The great procession of spring has begun.