Since celandine usually leads a relatively inconspicuous existence in nature, finding celandine is sometimes not that easy. You are most likely to discover wild specimens during the flowering period, when the delicate yellow flowers open on the plants.
When is the flowering time of celandine?
The flowering period of celandine extends from the end of April to the beginning of October, depending on the location. During this time, the plant repeatedly produces new, golden yellow flowers, which consist of four petals and many stamens.
A perennial summer bloomer
Depending on the location, celandine usually blooms between the end of April and the beginning of October. The plant is also attractive as a garden plant because it continually produces new flowers during the flowering period. Visually, the flowers are similar to those of St. John's wort, which also blooms golden yellow, although the flowers of celandine consist of only four petals and many stamens.
Don't cut off the flowers straight away
It's not without reason that celandine prefers to grow in the following locations:
- south-facing forest edges
- Wall cracks
- near ant colonies
This is because the pod-shaped seed capsules contain black seed bodies with nutrient-rich appendages inside. These serve as food for the ants in their burrow before the remaining seeds are cleared out of the ant burrow. So if you allow seeds to form after the flowering period, you will encourage ants in your garden and at the same time encourage the celandine to sow itself.
Tip
The celandine is a traditional medicinal plant in naturopathy. However, celandine can also be poisonous, which is why you should be extremely careful when using it and not without professional advice.
