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.

Fig buttercup blanketing a Triangle-area lawn. Photo by Charlie Innis for the News & Observer.

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.

Fig buttercup leaf. Note the reptile-like pattern of the veins.

Fig buttercup flower

Clump of fig buttercup leaves

Riparian habitat. Reedy Creek, Wake County, NC (March, 2020). Photo by Rob Emens, NC-IPC.

Fig buttercup in bloom

Infestation in a floodplain forest

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)

• Flowers have just five petals
• Flower stalk is covered with fine hairs

Wood sorrels (Oxalis stricta, Oxalis dillenii, Oxalis grandis, and more)

• Flowers have just five petals
• Leaves are divided into three like a shamrock

Dwarf cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis)

• Flowers have just five petals
• Leaves are divided into five, jagged-edged leaflets 

Yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)

• Flowers have six petals (technically "tepals")
• Leaves are tall and thin, standing upright like grass

 ​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 [email protected]. ​

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.

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.

Wake County
City of Raleigh
Cody Coates
Invasive Species Program Coordinator
Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
[email protected]
919-510-3134
 
Durham and Orange County
Durham County Engineering & Environmental Services
David A. Bradley
Open Space Specialist
[email protected]
Phone:  (919) 560-0093

Eno River Watershed (Durham/Orange Counties)
Kim Livingston
Director of Conservation and Stewardship
Eno River Association
[email protected]
 
Town of Hillsborough
Lindsay Rhew
Public Space/Public Works Division
Town of Hillsborough
[email protected]
 
Duke Forest
Tom Craven
Forest Supervisor, Duke Forest
Duke University
Phone: 919-489-7211
[email protected]

Chapel Hill Area
Johnny Randall
Director of Conservation Programs (retired)
NC Botanical Garden
[email protected]
919-962-2380
 
Orange County Parklands
Christian Hirni
Land Conservation Manager 
Natural & Cultural Resources Division
[email protected]
919-245-2514

Regional (Triangle Land Conservancy Lands)
Nick Adams
Land Stewardship Manager (West)
Triangle Land Conservancy
[email protected] 

Patrick Boleman
Land Stewardship Manager (East)
Triangle Land Conservancy
[email protected]