Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria Ranunculus refers to little frogs; ficaria refers to fig-like warts found on the roots

Identification

• Yellow flowers grow 1-3 inches from ground in March
• A dense leaf mat forms that can extend for yards
• Leaves are glossy and scalloped, but not toothed
• Thrives in wetlands

Look-Alikes

Winter Aconite, a plant related to lesser celandine that also has invasive tendencies, has a yellow flower with prominent green sepals. In 2004 the first aconite flowers in Sligo preceded the first celandine flowers by about three days. Aconite spreads easily in the garden and the author found several patches of it in the park, which she removed. She later removed it from the garden. Marsh Marigold is a native plant not known to occur in Sligo Creek Park. The flowers are 8-24 inches high.

Ridding Lesser Celandine

Celandine near Colesville Road, with Wineberry, now removed, in background.	Celandine above Colesville Road

• Hand-pulling works in wet, sandy soil. Grab a handful of leaves and work them back and forth until the roots give way. Bring a plastic bag for disposal of the roots.
  
  
• In non-sandy soil, a trowel is usually needed.
  
  
• When several isolated clumps need removal, shoveling works. However, shoveling also disrupts the soil, and in the process plants such as violets and spring beauty may be lost. When Friends members tried shoveling in 2001, four volunteers separated plants from soil over about seven square yards in two hours. Considerable celandine was left.
  
  
• A cover of plastic sheeting was tried in 2002. After eight weeks, celandine leaves covered by three-foot wide black sheeting were still green.
  
  
• For large areas, only spraying is practical.

Notes

• In March 2004 the Summit Foundation gave Friends of Sligo Creek a grant of $4,000 for the Park to contract sprayers to apply Rodeo, a form of glyphosate that is considered one of the safest herbicides. The chemical works by preventing the synthesis of three amino acids, which most plants, but not animals, need. The hope is to rid lesser celandine while removal is still possible, saving space for native may-apple, spring beauty, trout-lily, and other plants, including any wild ginger that might still be present in the park. For more information on glyphosate, see http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/handbook.html.

Location

• Essentially no celandine is known in 2004 between Dennis and University. Four large areas occur:
  • In one portion of woods behind Ladd and approximately Markwood, above University, section 9.
  • At Flora Lane, on both sides of the walk path and down nearly to the Creek, section 6.
  • Between the footbridge at Brunett and Colesville Road, west side, section 6.
  • In Prince Georges County, just above East-West Highway, section 1.
  
  
  
• Slightly smaller areas occurred
  • Near the vernal pool areas in the restored section of Wheaton Branch, section 7.
  • At the sandy bend of Sligo in the midsection of the soccer field, section 6.
  • On the floodplain above New Hampshire, section 2.
  
  
  
• Numerous clumps of one to two feet in diameter were scattered through most sections in 2004.

Other

• Lesser celandine exists in mass profusion in Rock Creek Park
  
  
• In 1998 or possibly 1999 the author first saw a yellow flower at the Flora Lane Tributary, and wondered if such a pretty flower could be marsh marigold.
  
  
• Lesser celandine, Winter Aconite, and Marsh Marigold are all members of the Buttercup Family, Ranunculaceae. Lesser celandine and about six other species are native to Europe and Asia.
  
  
• Lesser celandine leaves linger after the flowers disappear, but die back by June. Summer plants fill in, and one forgets that celandine was present.
  
  
• By forming such a dense leaf mat over large areas, spring ephemerals such as spring beauty, trout lily, and mayapple gradually lose out.
  
  
• Lesser celandine was brought here for garden use and is an escape.
  
  
• A 1983 British writer, John Clare, writes that this species is "used in herbal medicine for the treatment of piles, or haemorrhoids, either as an infusion or with the whole plant being macerated in boiling lard." He adds that the sap is used to treat warts. (The Natural History Prose Writings of John Clare, ed. by Margaret Grainger; Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1983)