Plant · GBIF taxon 3033339
Creeping buttercup
Ranunculus repensAlso known as Creeping Crowfoot, Sitfast
Creeping buttercup spreads aggressively across damp soils using low-growing leafy stolons that root at every node. Bright, glossy yellow flowers with five to ten petals rise above three-lobed leaves throughout late spring and summer. Its ability to thrive in compacted, nutrient-rich ground makes it a resilient inhabitant of pastures, lawns, and wet woodlands.
FloweringSpreadingPerennial
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Aphids
ThreatsHerbicides, soil cultivation
HabitatsLawns, damp pastures, riverbanks, wet woodlands, disturbed ground
Life spanPerennial
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderRanunculales
- FamilyRanunculaceae
- GenusRanunculus
- SpeciesRanunculus repens
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Contains protoanemonin, causing skin blistering and internal toxicity; do not touch with bare skin or ingest.
- Why it is dangerous
- Crushed tissues release ranunculin, which breaks down into toxic protoanemonin, causing skin blistering and severe gastrointestinal upset if eaten.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for glossy yellow flowers with five to ten petals and spreading stems running along moist soil.
- What to do
- Wear protective gloves when weeding, and keep livestock away from dense stands.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for three-parted stalked leaflets and long runners rooting at the nodes.
- Weeding: Wear gardening gloves when handling to prevent skin rashes from crushed stems.
- Garden Care: Dig out the central root system completely to keep stolons from regenerating.
Close Relative (c) Daniel Cahen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Daniel Cahen · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Andreas Eichler, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Family Member (c) Mike B, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative
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