NC INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL
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    • Ailanthus Altissima (Tree-of-Heaven)
    • Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn Olive)
    • Ficaria verna (Fig Buttercup)
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    • Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet)
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    • Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle)
    • Microstegium vimineum (Japanese Stilt Grass)
    • Nandina domestica
    • Nymphoides indica (water snowflake)
    • Paulownia tomentosa (Princess Tree)
    • Persicaria perfoliata (Mile-A-Minute Vine)
    • Pueraria montana (Kudzu)
    • Pyrus calleryana (Bradford Pear)
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      • 2016 agenda
    • 2015 Annual Symposium >
      • 2015 Presentations
      • 2015 Agenda
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    • Fig Buttercup Project
    • Eno River Hydrilla Project
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    • 2015 Student Competition Winners
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Fig Buttercup

​Ficaria verna
Fig buttercup (Ficaria verna), or lesser celandine, is a short herbaceous perennial that is a member of the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family). Native to Europe, fig buttercup was introduced as an ornamental and has since been naturalized in 19 states throughout the East, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Eastern Canada. This riparian herb grows vigorously in moist, forested floodplains by creating dense mats that out-compete native vegetation.

​Fig buttercup is mainly planted as an ornamental due to its showy flowers and heart-shaped leaves which serve as a ground cover. Flowering occurs in March and April. Flowers are very showy, bright yellow with eight petals. After flowering the plant foliage dies back and by early summer the plants become dormant. Bulblets (above ground tubers) and underground tubers are the primary method of propagation.   When the bulblets break off, they can be carried downstream by water to form new colonies. Fig buttercup has been observed in the Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain of North Carolina. 
Learn more about the Fig Buttercup Project

​NC-IPC Homeowner's Guide to Controlling Fig Buttercup

Fig Buttercup Fact Sheet
USDA Weed Risk Assessment for Ficaria verna Huds. (Ranunculaceae) – Fig buttercup (2015)
Fig Buttercup now illegal in South Carolina
Picture
Photo Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Picture
Photo Credit: USDA PLANTS Database, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
Picture
Reedy Creek, Wake County, NC  (March, 2020)
Photo Credit:  Rob Emens, NC-IPC
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  • Home
  • About
    • Donate
    • Invasives 101
    • Membership
    • Board of Directors >
      • NC-IPC ByLaws
    • Contact
    • Listserve
  • News
    • Iverson Scholarship
    • Wildland Weeds Magazine
    • Calendar >
      • 2018 Workshop
  • NC Invasive Plants
    • Ailanthus Altissima (Tree-of-Heaven)
    • Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn Olive)
    • Ficaria verna (Fig Buttercup)
    • Imperata cylindrica (Cogongrass)
    • Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet)
    • Ligustrum vulgare (Wild Privet)
    • Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle)
    • Microstegium vimineum (Japanese Stilt Grass)
    • Nandina domestica
    • Nymphoides indica (water snowflake)
    • Paulownia tomentosa (Princess Tree)
    • Persicaria perfoliata (Mile-A-Minute Vine)
    • Pueraria montana (Kudzu)
    • Pyrus calleryana (Bradford Pear)
  • Annual Symposiums
    • 2022 Joint Symposium >
      • 2022 Speaker Presentations
    • 2021 Virtual Conference
    • 2019 Joint Symposium >
      • 2019 Presentations
    • 2018 Annual Symposium
    • 2017 Annual Symposium
    • 2016 Annual Symposium >
      • 2016 agenda
    • 2015 Annual Symposium >
      • 2015 Presentations
      • 2015 Agenda
  • Projects
    • Fig Buttercup Project
    • Eno River Hydrilla Project
    • Awareness Week
  • Awards
    • 2015 Student Competition Winners
    • 2015 EIA Award
    • 2014 EIA Award