Lesser celandine

About

Lesser celandine is a low spring plant from Europe with glossy leaves and shiny yellow flowers that forms dense carpets on moist, shady ground in early spring. It spreads by tiny tubers and bulblets and is poisonous if eaten raw.

Also called fig buttercup, pilewort, lesser crowfoot

How to identify it

Look for

Plants are only 4 to 12 inches tall, with glossy, dark green, kidney- to heart-shaped leaves. Bright yellow shiny flowers have 8 to 12 petals over three green sepals. Look for small fig-shaped tubers on the roots and tiny pale bulblets where leaves join the stems.

Look-alikes

Native marsh marigold blooms at the same time but has much larger flowers with fewer petals.

Where it grows

Moist, shady soils, especially river floodplains, where it forms large, dense colonies.

When

Leaves come up in late winter, flowers open from about March to May, and the top growth dies back soon after.

How it spreads

Mainly by underground tubers and by bulblets on the stems, both carried by floods and soil; plants make few seeds (up to about 70).

Most common in

Where it is regulated

Listed as a restricted noxious weed in Minnesota (sale and propagation prohibited).

What to do, gentlest first

Protect yourself first. Weed killers are a last step; always read and follow the label.

1. Don't plant or share it Prevent

   Don't buy, plant or trade it, and don't move soil from infested areas.

2. Dig small patches carefully By hand

   Dig out small patches with all tubers and bulblets and bag everything for the trash; expect to repeat for several years.

   Don't mow; wear gloves.

3. Systemic herbicide in early spring Conventional spray

   Large patches need a systemic herbicide while plants are actively growing in late winter to early spring, usually over several years; hiring a qualified professional is best.

   Read and follow the label; many lawn and brush herbicides also kill garden plants.

Uses, wildlife and pets

Pets

Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA lists buttercups, Ranunculus, the genus this plant was long placed in): vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, mouth ulcers and a wobbly gait.