Description: Lesser Celandine is an herbaceous perennial which grows low to the ground with hairless, dark, fleshy, heart-shaped leaves. Rosettes of dark kidney/heart shaped leaves form dense mats on forest floors. Bright yellow flowers rise above the leaves on a single stalk.
Habitat: Lesser Celandine grows in moist alluvial sandy soils found in floodplains, but can also be found in low open woods, meadow, roadsides, and waste areas.
Invasive Traits: Lesser Celandine emerges early in the season and crowds out native flowers with its thick mats of vegetation. Affects native pollinators who feed on native spring wildflowers.
Control: Hand pulling can be effective only when the entire root system is removed. Herbicide can be applied in early spring. Herbicides must be approved for use in aquatic systems.
Further Reading
Swearingen 2010
[ranunculus_1] flower
[ranunculus_2] bulbils
[ranunculus_3] autumn-sprouting bulbils
[ranunculus_4] infestation
[ranunculus_5] infestation
