Leaf
Jean-Pascal Milcent, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lesser celandine
Ficaria verna
Also known as: Pilewort, Fig buttercup
Family: Ranunculaceae
5 to 20 cm tall
Cool woodland, banks, one of the very first spring flowers
Flowering: February – April
Part shade
Shade
Hardy to -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Carpets the forest floor in bright yellow from February, before almost all other flowers.
🍃 Leaves
Heart-shaped, glossy, fleshy, in a basal rosette
🌸 Flowers
Bright glossy yellow, star-shaped, many narrow petals
🍎 Fruits
Small cluster of achenes
🪵 Bark
Small underground tubers shaped like grains
🗺️ Distribution
Europe; very common in carpets in cool woodland and hedgerows at the very start of spring.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Very early bright yellow flowers, an important source of pollen and nectar for the first insects of spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Spring ground cover in woodland, disappears after flowering (ephemeral-foliage plant); can become invasive.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Mildly toxic when fresh (protoanemonin, as in buttercups); irritant to the skin and digestive mucous membranes. Toxicity increases as the plant flowers and sets fruit.
🌿 Other Ranunculaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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