Lesser celandine - Ranunculus ficaria

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Lesser celandine - Ranunculus ficaria
© Dr Chris Gibson/English Nature

One of the earliest spring wildflowers, lesser celandine provides nectar and pollen for bumblebees emerging from hibernation. Its bright yellow flowers have 8-12 narrow petals held above rosettes of low-growing stalked leaves which are glossy, dark green and heart-shaped. It dies back completely after flowering.

In the wild, lesser celandine is widely found on grassy banks and open woodland. It can be quite invasive in a small garden, so care is needed when deciding where to put plants, but it looks excellent carpeting the ground beneath a hedge, with the slightly later flowering bluebells and ramsons. The plant was traditionally called 'pilewort' and was used to treat the painful affliction because a bunch of the fleshy small roots somewhat resemble the source of the ailment. Like other ranunculus members of the buttercup family, it is toxic and should not be eaten.

Animals

Buff-tailed bumble bee, Red-tailed bumble bee

Foliage	Green
Flower	Yellow, March to May
Moisture	(Average)
Sunlight	(Full sun to Part-shade)
Origin	Native