Across many lawns and under trees these days I see a cute little yellow flower. Sometimes there is a whole blanket of them covering a large patch of grass. It looks so pretty - a sea of yellow on a spring day! It's hard not to be seduced by this cute little flower putting on such a spring show, but it can be very invasive! It's called Fig Buttercup or Lesser Celendine ( Ranunculus ficaria ). Fig Buttercup has a basal rosette of dark green, shiny, heart shaped leaves and the flowers are a bright yellow with eight petals, borne singly on thin stalks that rise above the leaves. Fig Buttercup may be confused with Marsh Marigold ( Caltha palustris ) which bear a similar resemblance. However, Marsh Marigold has glossy, rounded leaves with 5-9 petaled flowers on stalks that are 8in or more in height. It does not produce tubers or bulblets like Fig Buttercup and therefore, does not form a continuous carpet of growth. Locally, it turns to brown mush in June before going...
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