This Cheery Yellow Flower That Emerges in Early Spring May Look Cute, But It’s Highly Invasive – How to Identify & Remove Lesser Celandine

If you see a ground cover in your garden or natural areas near your home erupting in yellow flowers this spring, you might be looking at lesser celandine. This plant can look attractive in early spring, but don’t be fooled by its pretty blooms. This is an aggressive, harmful, and invasive species.

Lesser celandine is often confused for other native species, like the marsh marigold, which blooms around the same time and looks very similar. It also looks a lot like winter aconite, which is another non-native plant that is not nearly as detrimental as lesser celandine.

It’s important to avoid growing invasive plants in your garden, but it’s also sometimes necessary to remove them when they’ve already invaded. I’ll help you identify lesser celandine and tell you how to control it on your property. Plus, I’ll share my favorite native alternatives to add cheery yellow blooms to your spring garden.

What Is Lesser Celandine?

Lesser celandine is Ficaria verna, also sometimes known as Ranunculus ficaria. It is a spring ephemeral that emerges and blooms early in the spring before the trees have leafed out. Though the leaves and flowers of this plant disappear by mid- or late spring, the underground structures of the lesser celandine plant persist and cause problems year after year.

Lesser celandine is native to areas of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It was brought to North America in the 1800s as an ornamental specimen and has since become a weedy, aggressive invader in many regions.

Lesser celandine is particularly problematic throughout the eastern states, the Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest. It thrives in moist ground along streams and in floodplains, but can also grow in drier upland areas.

How to Identify Lesser Celandine

Lesser celandine is fairly easy to identify. It grows low to the ground, around 4 inches (10 cm) high. The leaves are glossy, green, and heart-shaped. The flowers emerge on stalks that grow above the leaves. They are bright yellow, open, and resemble buttercups. Each flower has 8 to 12 petals.

You might see single plants of lesser celandine, but it also tends to form large, sprawling mats. If you dig up the roots, you’ll see small, fleshy tubers, which help the plant spread. Another spreading mechanism you can identify is bulbils, which are small and bulb-like and grow between the leaves and the stems.

Despite its invasive status, lesser celandine is often sold as a low-maintenance ground cover. But there are many native options that are just as beautiful and easy to grow instead, which I’ll share with you below.

How to Control Lesser Celandine

If you find lesser celandine in a natural area that isn’t on your property, you can report it to the appropriate agency. For example, in the Midwest, report invasive plants to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. If you’re not sure where to report, contact your state’s natural resources department.

If you find lesser celandine on your property, you can either manage its spread or attempt to completely eradicate this invasive plant. The difficulty with complete eradication is that all parts of the plant, including all the underground structures, must be destroyed or removed to stop it from growing.

Digging up and destroying or disposing of plants can work if you only have a small amount of lesser celandine in your yard, but larger areas will be very difficult to clear. Dig up all the underground parts of the lesser celandine plant and burn them or throw them away in the garbage. Do not put them in your compost pile or with other yard waste.

An easier and often more effective method of control is to use an herbicide. Products that contain glyphosate – like Roundup, which you can get from Amazon or just about any big box store – are effective, but the window for application is limited. You can only use them in the time before the plant begins to flower in spring until about half of the plants are in bloom. This minimizes damage and herbicide drift to other plants.

It’s important to take great care when using herbicides, both for the health of your other plants and yourself. There are many serious drawbacks to glyphosate, so if you’re not sure what to use or how to use it safely, contact your local extension office for guidance. Or try a safer alternative to Roundup instead, like this organic weed killer from Amazon.

Native Alternatives

Lesser celandine can be very attractive in early spring when it carpets large areas with green foliage and yellow flowers, but it’s not worth the damage it can cause. Here are some ideas for native ground cover alternatives that thrive in similar growing conditions:

1. Marsh Marigold

Lesser celandine is a commonly mistaken lookalike for marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). So this native plant is a great alternative if you want yellow flowers and have a wet area to fill. Marsh marigold needs very moist soil or even standing water to thrive and prefers full sun. It is hardy in zones 2 through 7.

You can get marsh marigold plants from Nature Hills Nursery online.

2. Green & Gold

The green & gold plant (Chrysogonum virginianum) grows taller than lesser celandine, but is still suitable as a ground cover. It will reward you with the best color and blooms in partial shade, although it can also grow in full shade. The soil should drain well, but be rich in nutrients. It is hardy in zones 5 through 9.

3. Celandine Poppy

Growing around 12 inches (30 cm) tall, celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) doesn’t bloom until mid- or late spring. If you can wait, you’ll be rewarded with bright yellow poppy-like flowers. This flower grows best in moist, rich soil in areas of partial shade and in zones 4 through 9.

You can find celandine poppy plants for sale from NativeEcoScaping on Etsy.

4. Lobed Tickseed

Many species of tickseed are native, but Coreopsis auriculata is a particularly nice choice for replacing lesser celandine. It has similar yellow flowers and can be used as a ground cover. It will readily spread to form dense colonies. It grows best in partial shade or full sun and moist soil. It is hardy in zones 4 through 9.

Shop dwarf lobed tickseed 'Nana' plants from Daylily Nursery on Etsy.

5. Golden Groundsel

Golden groundsel (Packera aurea) spreads in thick mats and produces yellow daisy-like flowers. Like lesser celandine, it works as a ground cover in moist or even wet soils in shady areas. It is hardy in zones 3 through 8.

Get live golden ragwort plants from NativeEcoScaping on Etsy.

Don’t be fooled by the early spring beauty of lesser celandine. It’s a menace in many areas and will take over areas where native species should be. Clear out any that you find in your garden and replace them with a suitable alternative instead.