Lesser Celandine
Ficaria verna
non-native
Other Names:
Pilewort, Fig Buttercup
Lesser Celandine is a non-native plant from Europe and western Asia. It is an aggressive invasive that can spread quickly. It is in the buttercup family, and its small yellow flowers look like buttercups. Several states have either banned it or listed it as a noxious weed. It is not in the same family as Greater Celandine (which is a poppy), even though the flowers look very similar. Lesser Celandine has been frequently mentioned in literature, appearing in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and in Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. It was a favorite flower of the poet William Wordsworth.
Identification Tools
Illinois Wildflowers
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States
University of Maryland Extension
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Ranges
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