1 March 2010 Page 1 of 3 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

FACT SHEET: FIG BUTTERCUP

Fig Buttercup 

Ficaria verna (previously Ranunculus ficaria L.) 

Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) 

NATIVE RANGE 

Eurasia including Europe, Northern Africa, Western Asia, Caucasus, and Siberia 

DESCRIPTION 

Fig buttercup, also called lesser celandine and pilewort, is a perennial herbaceous 

flowering plant that completes its life cycle during the winter and spring. The name is 

derived from Ficaria (Latin for fig) and verna (spring). Plants consist of a basal rosette 

of tender, succulent, dark green, shiny, stalked kidney- to heart-shaped leaves. 

Flowers are symmetrical, bright buttery yellow with a slightly darker center, have 8 

(typical) to 12 petals, and are borne singly on delicate stalks that rise above the leaves. 

Tiny cream colored bulblets are produced in stem axils and become apparent later in 

the flowering period. Abundant fingerlike tubers are produced by the roots and are 

easily visible when plants are pulled up. Fruiting heads are globose composed of many 

achenes that are pubescent and usually abortive. When in bloom, large infestations of 

lesser celandine appear as a green carpet with yellow dots, spread across the forest 

floor. There are many varieties of lesser celandine including a double-flowered form 

with many petals and dark green leaves mottled with silvery markings. 

NOTE: Fig buttercup may be confused with marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), a native plant found in wetland habitats in 

the eastern United States. Marsh marigold is a robust plant with glossy, rounded or kidney-shaped leaves and flowers on 

stalks that are 8 in (20.3 cm) or more in height and consist of five to nine deep yellow "petals" (actually sepals). Marsh 

marigold does not produce tubers or bulblets, nor does it form a continuous carpet of growth. Extreme care should be 

taken to correctly identify lesser celandine before undertaking any control measures to avoid impacts to this plant. It also 

resembles celandine (Chelidonium majus) and celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), both of which belong to the 

poppy family and can be distinguished from the invasive buttercup by having flowers with four petals. 

ECOLOGICAL THREAT 

Fig buttercup is a vigorous growing vernal plant that forms large, dense patches in floodplain forests and some upland 

sites, displacing many native plant species, especially those with the similar spring-flowering life cycle. Spring ephemerals 

complete the reproductive part of their life cycle and most of their above-ground development in the increasing light of late 

winter and spring, before woody plants leaf out and shade the forest floor. Some examples of native spring ephemerals 

include bloodroot, wild ginger, spring beauty, harbinger-of-spring, twinleaf, squirrel-corn, trout lily, trilliums, Virginia 

bluebells, and many, many others. These plants provide critical nectar and pollen for native pollinators, and fruits and 

seeds for other native insects and wildlife species. Because fig buttercup emerges well in advance of the native species, it 

has a developmental advantage which allows it to establish and overtake areas rapidly. 

DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES 

Fig buttercup is reported to be invasive in at least seventeen states in the northeastern U.S. from Wisconsin to New 

Hampshire south to Tennessee and, to date, in one western state, Oregon (http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org). 

HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES 

Fig buttercup occurs in low open woods, floodplains, meadows and waste places and seems to prefer sandy soils. 

BACKGROUND 

Fig buttercup was introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant. It is still available commercially in the U.S. 

along with many colorful varieties. All varieties should be assumed to be potentially invasive and should not be allowed to 

escape from plantings. 
1 March 2010 Page 2 of 3 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

BIOLOGY & SPREAD 

Fig buttercup is a vernal or spring ephemeral perennial plant that spends much 

of the year (summer through early winter) underground as thickened, fingerlike 

tubers or underground stems. During the winter, leaves begin to emerge and 

photosynthesize in preparation for flowering. In the mid-Atlantic region, most 

flowering occurs from late winter through mid-spring (March through May), 

depending on conditions. After flowering, the above-ground portions begin to 

die back and the plants are mostly gone by June. Fig buttercup spreads 

primarily by vegetative means through abundant tubers and bulblets, each of 

which can grow into a new plant once separated from the parent plant. The 

prolific tubers may be unearthed and scattered by the digging activities of 

some animals, including well meaning human weed pullers, and spread to new 

sites during flood events. 

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS 

Due to its short life cycle, the window of opportunity for controlling fig buttercup 

is very short but it can be accomplished with persistence over time using 

methods that are appropriate for the site and size of infestation. While manual 

methods are possible for some (small) infestations, the use of systemic 

herbicide is more effective because it kills the entire plant including the roots 

and minimizes soil disturbance. 

Biological 

No biological control agents are currently available or being investigated for fig 

buttercup. 

Chemical 

In order to have the greatest negative impact to celandine and the least impact to desirable native wildflower species, 

herbicide should be applied in late winter-early spring, generally February through March. Start applications prior to 

flowering and up until about 50 percent of the plants are in flower, around April 1, then stop. After that, control success 

declines and many more native wildflowers have emerged that could be killed by spray. Native amphibians would also be 

emerging and could be harmed. Apply a 1 to 1.5% rate of a 53.8% active ingredient glyphosate isopropylamine salt (e.g., 

Rodeo® which is labeled for use in wetland areas), mixed with water and a non-ionic surfactant to foliage, avoiding 

application to anything but the celandine. Glyphosate is systemic; that is, the active ingredient is absorbed by the plant 

and translocated to the roots, eventually killing the entire plant. The full effect on the plant may take 1-2 weeks. 

Retreatment the following year will likely be needed. Applications can be made during the winter season as long as the 

temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above, and no rain is anticipated for at least 12 hours. Because glyphosate is 

non-specific, spray should be directed such that it contacts only fig buttercup and does not drift onto desirable native 

plants. To minimize impacts to sensitive-skinned frogs and salamanders, some experts recommend applying herbicide in 

March and then switching to manual methods. 

Manual-Mechanical 

For small infestations, fig buttercup may be pulled up by hand or dug up using a hand trowel or shovel. It is very important 

to remove all bulblets and tubers. Due to the abundant tiny bulblets and tubers, all material must be bagged up, removed 

from the site and disposed properly in a landfill or incinerator. A major consideration when manually removing invasive 

plants like this is the disturbance to the soil which can encourage the target invasive as well provide openings for invasion 

by other exotic species. For these reasons, manual and mechanical removal is probably inappropriate for larger 

infestations in high quality natural areas. 

USE PESTICIDES WISELY: Always read the entire pesticide label carefully, follow all mixing and application instructions and wear all 

recommended personal protective gear and clothing. Contact your state department of agriculture for any additional pesticide use 

requirements, restrictions or recommendations. 

NOTICE: mention of pesticide products on this page does not constitute endorsement of any material.
1 March 2010 Page 3 of 3 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

CONTACT 

For more information on the management of fig buttercup, please contact: 

• Sue Salmons, National Park Service, Washington, sue_salmons at nps.gov 

• Jil Swearingen, National Park Service, jil_swearingen at nps.gov 

SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS 

Many lovely native perennial, spring-flowering plants are available as alternatives to fig buttercup. Plants native the 

eastern U.S. that are available from native plant nurseries include wild ginger (Asarum canadense), bloodroot 

(Sanguinaria canadensis), twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla), and various species of trilliums. Contact your local native plant 

society for additional suggestions and assistance for which species are appropriate for your area. Buying from reputable 

sources will ensure that the plants you buy are not collected from the wild. For sources of native plants, see link to Lady 

Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website below. 

OTHER LINKS 

• http://www.invasive.org/search/action.cfm?q=Ranunculus%20ficaria 

• http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/icat/browse.do?specieId=89 

• http://invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3069#maps 

• http://www.wildflower.org/explore/ 

AUTHOR 

Jil Swearingen, National Park Service, Center for Urban Ecology, Washington, DC 

REVIEWERS 

John Parrish, Susan Salmons, Sally Gagne, Ann Rhoads, Carole Bergmann, Larry Morse, Steve Young 

PHOTOGRAPHS 

Jim Stasz @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database 

Olivia Kwong, Plant Conservation Alliance, Washington, DC 

REFERENCES 

Fernald, M. L. 1970. Gray's Manual of Botany, Eighth edition. D. Van Nostrand Company, New York, NY. p. 648. 

Hammerschlag, R., S. Salmons, C. Kraft, M. Paul, and J. Hatfield. 2003. Ecology and Management of Ranunuculus 

ficaria in Rock Creek Park. U.S. Geological Survey. 

Invasive Plant Atlas of the U.S. 2010. The University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health and 

the National Park Service. Available online at www.invasiveplantatlas.org/; last accessed February 23, 2010. 

Kartesz, J. 2010. Biota of North America Project (BONAP). http://www.bonap.org/ 

Rhoads, A. F. and T. A. Block. 2000. The Plants of Pennsylvania, an Illustrated Manual. University of Pennsylvania Press, 

Philadelphia, PA. 1061 pp. 

Swearingen, J. 2008. Survey of Invasive Plants Affecting National Parks in the United States. 

http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/parksurvey.pdf 

USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 19 February 2010). National Plant Data Center, 

Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. 

Weakley, A.S. 2008. North Carolina University Flora of the Southeastern United States. Chapel Hill, NC. 

http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/seflora/firstviewer.htm