Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna HudsonNon-native  -  Invasive    Synonyms: Ficaria verna ssp. calthifolia, Ficaria verna ssp. chrysocephala, Ficaria verna ssp. fertilis, Ficaria verna ssp. ficariiformis, Ficaria verna ssp. verna, Fig Buttercup.
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Ranunculales   >   Family Ranunculaceae   >   Genus Ficaria   

Status:

This highly invasive Eurasian species can be abundant in riparian/floodplain habitats. It emerges even earlier than most of our native spring ephemeral species, providing a terrible competitive advantage. During the species' dormant period from June to late winter, it leaves the ground barren and susceptible to erosion. Unfortunately it is very difficult to control and typically requires chemical treatment.

There are 851 records in the project database.

View at Maryland Plant Atlas

Search Flora of North America

Search Mid-Atlantic Herbaria Consortium

Search Norton-Brown Herbarium

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GAAL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KEQA CN TA DO WISOWO
Lesser Celandine carpeting a riverine bottomland in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/6/2011). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine blooming in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/13/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/19/2017). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/18/2017). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (3/26/2011). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/3/2016). Photo by Jane Hill. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/12/2014). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Charles Co., Maryland (4/3/2014). Photo by Kerry Wixted. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine blooming in Howard Co., Maryland (4/17/2013). Photo by Joanne Solem. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/26/2021). (c) Greg Gurley, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Greg Gurley via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine blooming in Howard Co., Maryland (4/4/2015). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine already emerging to carpet the forest floor at Patapsco Valley SP in Baltimore Co., Maryland (1/29/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Harford Co., Maryland (4/8/2021). (c) dragonflygems, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by dragonflygems via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

The first of the scourge of Lesser Celandine emerging in late winter in Montgomery Co., Maryland (2/18/2018). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Baltimore City, Maryland (8/3/2020). (c) Alice Thompson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by maraboustork via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Howard Co., Maryland (4/14/2018). (c) kwixted0, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Kerry Wixted. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Prince George's Co., Maryland (3/10/2020). (c) Jenny Glenn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jenny Glenn via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Howard Co., Maryland (3/14/2020). (c) Kim Pause Tucker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Kim Pause Tucker via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/4/2020). (c) Jane Hartman, all rights reserved. Photo by Jane Hartman. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/12/2020). (c) Hollis Dahn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Hollis Dahn via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Talbot Co., Maryland (4/15/2020). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/19/2020). (c) izzyei, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by izzyei via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Lesser Celandine encroaches on spring ephemeral plants such as Virginia Springbeauty in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/20/2019). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

MBP marks as "Invasive" any taxon listed in the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) list of Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland. You can read their criteria and review the lists here: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/.