Land Plants - invasive

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) on Apr 17, 2019

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

Shiny yellow flowers. 9 main petals, and smaller yellow petals in the center. The leaves are kidney shaped, and scalloped along their edges. the leaves are shiny as well. The flower wilts very quickly after it is picked. They are a bright and vibrant yellow color. Petals are soft and delicate. I believe they are lesser celandine.

Commentary

None

Remedy

For small patches, plants can be dug up in their entirety (be sure to get all roots and the small bulbils that break off to form new plants - you may need to sift through your soil to get these). Do not compost or put in your yard debris bin any below-ground parts of the plant (tubers and bulbils) as they can be spread this way. The leaves and flowers are ok to compost or put in yard debris. For larger patches, digging is impractical and can cause a lot of disturbance; herbicide application may have more success. * Lesser Celandine: National Park Service fact sheet *Lesser Celandine info from West Multnomah SWCD

Resources

Lesser Celandine info from Urban Ecology Center

Location

This is an empty lot on a frequently trafficked street right next to oregon state university. I believe there used to be houses in these two empty lots, however they are long gone and the lots are being overtaken by foliage. Right up on the sidewalk there is a very large patch of yellow flowers, and they seem to be spreading along the sidewalk and into the lot. The area is right next to a very large tree.

Expert Reviewer

Laura Brown
Benton SWCD

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