What is Fig Buttercup, and why is it a problem?
Fig buttercup (Ficaria verna) is an invasive plant that is aggressively taking over floodplain and streamside ecosystems in North Carolina. It spreads easily when its bulblets and tubers spread through water to start new colonies. Once established, it creates dense mats that out-compete native plants and disrupts the natural balance of our ecosystems.
Also called lesser celandine and pilewort, fig buttercup is generally only visible above ground in winter and spring. It puts out leaves in winter, and then its yellow flowers appear in March and April. By early summer, the flowers and leaves die back, and the plant becomes dormant until the following winter. Native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, fig buttercup has long been invasive in the northeastern U.S. In the last 10 to 15 years, it has increasingly become a problem here in North Carolina. Sometimes grown as an ornamental plant, it can spread from home gardens into drainage ways to nearby streams and floodplains and through mulch. See where fig buttercup has been spotted in Durham, Orange, Chatham, and Wake Counties. |
How can I identify fig buttercup?
It’s important to correctly identify fig buttercup before trying to remove it, as we have a number of low-growing yellow native wildflowers here in North Carolina that look similar.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Location: You’re most likely to find fig buttercup near a stream or along a floodplain forest.
Leaves: Dark green, shiny, hairless, succulent, heart-shaped.
Stalks: Smooth and hairless
Flowers: Bright, buttery yellow flowers with eight petals (occasionally more) and a slightly darker center. Each flower sits singly on a stalk above the leaves.
Habit: Grows low to the ground. A large infestation can appear like a green carpet with yellow dots over the forest floor.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Location: You’re most likely to find fig buttercup near a stream or along a floodplain forest.
Leaves: Dark green, shiny, hairless, succulent, heart-shaped.
Stalks: Smooth and hairless
Flowers: Bright, buttery yellow flowers with eight petals (occasionally more) and a slightly darker center. Each flower sits singly on a stalk above the leaves.
Habit: Grows low to the ground. A large infestation can appear like a green carpet with yellow dots over the forest floor.
Native Lookalikes
These are a few common North Carolina native plants that are also low-growing, woodland wildflowers with yellow blooms. Notice that none of them has as many petals (eight) as fig buttercup, and in most cases, the leaves are a different shape, too.
Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Wood sorrels (Oxalis stricta, Oxalis dillenii, Oxalis grandis, and more)
Dwarf cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis)
Yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)
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Further north, marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) is a common lookalike, but in North Carolina it’s highly rare and grows only in the mountains.
Report a finding
Make an observation on iNaturalist here
iNaturalist is a joint venture between the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society that allows you to upload location-specific photos of plants, animals, and fungi to its free website or app. If you upload your observation of fig buttercup to iNaturalist, it helps us track the plant’s spread through the state. During fig buttercup’s active seasons, we regularly update our GIS map of known sightings with the latest iNaturalist observations. New to iNaturalist? Watch a tutorial to get started. Email us If you’re not comfortable with iNaturalist, send an email noting the location of the sighting (and preferably including photos) to figbuttercupnc@gmail.com. |
![]() Find sightings of fig buttercup near you: click on the map to open the interactive viewer! We regularly update this GIS map with iNaturalist observations made in Chatham, Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties during fig buttercup's active seasons.
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Controlling Fig Buttercup
If you find fig buttercup on your property, you can help stop the spread of this invasive species through manual or herbicide control. We have put together a homeowner's guide with details about treatment methods and recommended products. View the NC-IPC Homeowner's Guide to Controlling Fig Buttercup [PDF].
Local Contacts
Looking to connect with people and organizations working to stop the spread of fig buttercup in your area? This list of individuals and organizations is a work in progress; check back if you don't see your area represented.
Raleigh
City of Raleigh
Leigh Bragassa
Invasive Program Coordinator
Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
leigh.bragassa@raleighnc.gov
919-278-6244
Owen Cass
Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
owen.cass@raleighnc.gov
Durham
Durham County Open Space Division
Celeste Burns
Open Space & Real Estate Coordinator
cburns@dconc.gov
Phone: (919) 560-7956
Eno River Watershed (Durham/Orange Counties)
Kim Livingston
Director of Conservation and Stewardship
Eno River Association
stewardship@enoriver.org
Ellerbe Creek Watershed
Donna Myers
Stewardship Director, ECWA
donna@ellerbecreek.org
Rickie White
Executive Director, ECWA
rickie@ellerbecreek.org
Duke Forest
Tom Craven
Forest Supervisor, Duke Forest
Duke University
Phone: 919-489-7211
tmc8@duke.edu
Chapel Hill
Johnny Randall
Director of Conservation Programs, North Carolina Botanical Garden
jrandall@email.unc.edu
919-962-2380
Orange County
Orange County Parklands
Christian Hirni
Land Conservation Manager
Natural & Cultural Resources Division
chirni@orangecountync.gov
919-245-2514
Eno River Watershed (Durham/Orange Counties)
Kim Livingston
Director of Conservation and Stewardship
Eno River Association
stewardship@enoriver.org
Raleigh
City of Raleigh
Leigh Bragassa
Invasive Program Coordinator
Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
leigh.bragassa@raleighnc.gov
919-278-6244
Owen Cass
Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
owen.cass@raleighnc.gov
Durham
Durham County Open Space Division
Celeste Burns
Open Space & Real Estate Coordinator
cburns@dconc.gov
Phone: (919) 560-7956
Eno River Watershed (Durham/Orange Counties)
Kim Livingston
Director of Conservation and Stewardship
Eno River Association
stewardship@enoriver.org
Ellerbe Creek Watershed
Donna Myers
Stewardship Director, ECWA
donna@ellerbecreek.org
Rickie White
Executive Director, ECWA
rickie@ellerbecreek.org
Duke Forest
Tom Craven
Forest Supervisor, Duke Forest
Duke University
Phone: 919-489-7211
tmc8@duke.edu
Chapel Hill
Johnny Randall
Director of Conservation Programs, North Carolina Botanical Garden
jrandall@email.unc.edu
919-962-2380
Orange County
Orange County Parklands
Christian Hirni
Land Conservation Manager
Natural & Cultural Resources Division
chirni@orangecountync.gov
919-245-2514
Eno River Watershed (Durham/Orange Counties)
Kim Livingston
Director of Conservation and Stewardship
Eno River Association
stewardship@enoriver.org