Lesser Celandine

To the Small Celandine by William Wordsworth

Pansies, Lilies, Kingcups, Daisies,

Let them live upon their praises;

Long as there's a sun that sets

Primroses will have their glory;

Long as there are Violets,

They will have a place in story:

There's a flower that shall be mine,

Tis the little Celandine.

-

the first celandine of the year 

I saw my first celandine of the year in January, a lonely golden, star-shaped flower by the footpath leading up from Frome Gardens.

by the nature reserve

Now there are many there and along the canal towpath with more to come before they disappear by April/May, amidst the current frosts and downpours consoling harbingers of spring.

Wordsworth was entranced by their brilliant colour in reflected sunlight (though the plants are most happy growing in moist though not permanently boggy, shady places) and considered them more beautiful than daffodils. He is said to have requested a sculpted flower for his gravestone (but the stone mason carved a greater celandine).

at Dudbridge Wharf

The top layers of the petals contain the yellow carotenoid pigment, while underneath are packed tiny white starch granules which help reflect the light and result in the white colour when the flower fades.

Usually associated with woodland and hedgerows, the heart shaped leaves of the plant take full advantage of any sunlight before the tree canopies and shrub leaves develop. 

Marmalade hoverfly on 21st January

One of the first wildflowers to bloom, it’s a critical source of nectar and pollen for insects that are out early in the year.

Further information and images

Country Life: Celandine

The Woodland Trust: Lesser Celandine

Species of UK: Lesser Celandine