Lesser celandine Ficaria verna
Table of Contents
Lesser celandine is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring, with its dazzling yellow flowers painting a carpet of colour of woodland floors, hedgerows and riverbanks.
Plant family: Ranunculaceae
Aliases: Pilewort, fig buttercup, spring messenger
Flowering period: March – May
Flower colour: Yellow
Preferred soil type: Moist
Habitat: Woodland, grassland, roadside verges, stream banks
Status: Common
General information
An early season perennial wildflower and along with the wild primrose, bluebell and greater stitchwort, lesser celandine is one of the first plants to bloom in the springtime. It’s cheerful, glossy star-sharped flowers can be seed carpeting moist ground in woodland, hedgerows and roadside verges as early as March.
The flowering period is short lived, as they start to disappear in May, emerging again the following year. The leaves will appear and remain around a month either side of the flowering period. Lesser celandine, which is a member of the buttercup family is a low growing plant, rarely reaching more than 20cm in height. It doesn’t grow well on dry sites or acidic soils.
Identification
Flowers: The bright yellow flowers are between 20 – 30 mm in diameter, each having between 8 – 12 petals. They open up during daylight hours and times of full sun and close during dusk, or prior to any rainfall.
Leaves: The dark green leaves have a glossy surface, are heart shaped, have prominent veins and typically measure between 15 – 40mm in length. The leaf margins are sometimes scalloped or toothed, however this can vary from plant to plant. In certain cases the leaves may be variegated.
Value for wildlife
As one of the first flowers to appear in early spring, they provide an important source of nectar for Bees and other pollinators emerging from hibernation
Uses for lesser celandine
Lesser celandine is an edible plant, mainly the leaves and roots, however it’s important that it is cooked prior to being eaten, as eaten raw it is toxic. It has been used as a potherb and as a salad green, while the roots can be consumed as a starchy vegetable. As with all wildflowers they should only be consumed once professional advice has been taken.
It has medicinal properties and has been used to treat ulcers and haemorrhoids. An ointment made from the roots of the plant have been said to cure warts and corns.
Lesser celandine images
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