Ranunculus repens (Creeping buttercup)
Well spring has sprung and I know this for a fact because my desktop is a veritable traffic jam of little photos of flowers. All of these little photos whisper “Choose me, post me!” as they jostle in line for their opportunity to pose on the World Wide Web. Unfortunately all those fancy garden flowers will be disappointed because the subject of today’s post is the humble buttercup (Ranunculus repens).
Buttercups are native to Europe, Asia and North Africa but I would think that every garden in the Greater Vancouver area has a few buttercups growing in a shady spot. Most people think of them as weeds but I love the sheer ‘yellowness’ of this little flower. If they move into the flower beds they can be controlled with simple hand-pulling and the judicious use of a trowel.
On the the other hand. cattle farmers don’t like them. Buttercups spread by creeping rhizomes and once established, they are very hard to get rid of. Cattle won’t eat them (too bitter) but the buttercup exploits the chance to further spread into a recently grazed meadow. Over time, buttercups can take over the entire field.
