Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) on Feb 10, 2010
Submitter has sample
Description of specimen
stated above
Commentary
have reported by phone last year with no responce but would love to know how to get ride of it
Reporter
Feb. 10, 2010, 4:46 a.m.
Mr. Bowsky:
Thanks for your email. I wanted to clarify that you're asking about only lesser celandine; you mention pruning and killing fruit trees, which sounds like something taller and more vigorous than lesser celandine.
As for the lesser celandine, we're testing very low rates (2-4%) of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) this month to determine effectiveness. We've heard from other folks that digging doesn't seem to help much. Feel free to check back with me on our results via email (mitch.bixby@bes.ci.portland.or.us).
Thanks again for your questions. -Mitch
Mitch Bixby
Feb. 12, 2010, 3:38 a.m.
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
it grows along my neighbor fence and he refuses to remove it. I have to prune it 5 times a year as it kills my fruit trees and raised bed gardens I live at 3746 SE Lafayette court and the neighbor to the west demands he has a right to grow it regardless to it being a noxious weed the neighbor to the east and I control it by digging roots out but each year is days of fighting the bird spread of seeds and plants. I also have lessor celandine that increases its population every year and has spread to neighbors. I have paid hundreds of dollars to dig out roots each year but iot only encourages spread. It must have come in cow manure or bagged potting soil. I have resisted using chemicals but not even Portland Nursery has been able to tell me what to use if I wanted to. it is not a problem but is in flower garden beds that probably can not be sprayed. There is also ivy on back of lot growing up tall fur tree over three lots.
Expert Reviewer
Mr. Mitch Bixby City of Portland - Bureau of Environmental Services (BES)
Reporter
Feb. 10, 2010, 4:46 a.m.
Thanks for your email. I wanted to clarify that you're asking about only lesser celandine; you mention pruning and killing fruit trees, which sounds like something taller and more vigorous than lesser celandine.
As for the lesser celandine, we're testing very low rates (2-4%) of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) this month to determine effectiveness. We've heard from other folks that digging doesn't seem to help much. Feel free to check back with me on our results via email (mitch.bixby@bes.ci.portland.or.us).
Thanks again for your questions.
-Mitch
Mitch Bixby
Feb. 12, 2010, 3:38 a.m.