IPM Checklist
Lesser Celandine / Fig Buttercup Control (Tubers, Bulbils, and a Narrow Window)
The short answer
Lesser celandine, also called fig buttercup (Ficaria verna, formerly Ranunculus ficaria), is a spring-ephemeral perennial that emerges and blooms in early spring, then goes dormant and disappears by late May. It has glossy, kidney- to heart-shaped, deeply veined leaves and bright yellow, star-shaped flowers with eight or more narrow petals, often with a darker ring in the center, forming dense mats that crowd out spring natives.
It is hard to control because it spreads underground: thick fig-like tubers plus tiny bulbils that form at the leaf bases, and each tuber or bulbil can grow into a new plant. Hand-digging is possible for small patches but only works if you remove every tuber and bulbil, and digging disturbs the soil heavily and scatters the propagules.
The plant's short active season, roughly late March to early May, is the entire control window, so timing is everything. Extension recommends systemic glyphosate applied during active growth for landscape beds because it translocates to the tubers, and warns that at least two years of effort are usually needed; all removed plant parts should be bagged for trash or burning.
How to identify it (and its lookalike)
It is one of the first things to green up. Look for glossy, spade- to kidney-shaped leaves with deep veining (Clemson likens the texture to reptile skin) and bright yellow flowers with eight or more narrow, star-shaped petals and three small sepals beneath, blooming in early spring, then the whole plant yellows and vanishes by late May. Underground it carries thick, fig-like tubers, and tiny bulbils form at the bases of the leaf stalks.
The main lookalike is native marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), which differs in three ways: its leaves are finely toothed, its flowers have 5 to 9 wider, more rounded petals, and it grows as scattered individual plants rather than the dense, ground-covering mat that lesser celandine forms.
Why it is so hard to remove
The plant is built to survive disturbance. It stores energy in thick fig-like tubers and produces numerous tiny bulbils at the leaf bases, and every one of those can become a new plant. Dig carelessly and you break tubers off and fling bulbils across the bed, effectively planting it, which is why Extension does not recommend hand-digging as a first resort for anything but the smallest patches.
The dormancy makes it worse. Because the plant is only visible and actively growing for a few weeks in spring, you have a narrow window to act, and once it dies back the only manual option is screening tubers and bulbils out of the soil, which is impractical at any scale.
Timing and control
Work within the window. The plant is actively growing only from roughly late winter to early May, so any treatment has to happen then, ideally before the end of April to reduce harm to emerging natives. For a small patch you can dig, but you must remove every tuber and bulbil and accept the soil disturbance; seal all plant parts in a bag for the trash or burning, because bulbils and tubers spread easily.
For larger infestations in landscape beds, Extension recommends a systemic glyphosate applied during active growth, because it is absorbed by the leaves and translocated down to the tubers where digging cannot reach; follow the product label and county Extension guidance, as no rates are given here. Plan on at least two years of repeated effort, since a single season rarely clears the tuber and bulbil bank.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC - Fig Buttercup (Ficaria verna) — Fig buttercup / lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is a spring ephemeral with glossy spade/heart-shaped deeply-veined leaves (resembling reptile skin) and bright yellow flowers with three sepals under the petals, spreading via thick fig-like tubers and bulblets that each produce a new plant and help it survive drought; it is only actively growing about February to April, so patches can be removed by hand only if all tubers and bulblets are removed from the ground, and glyphosate is recommended for landscape beds, with at least two years generally required to eradicate a population.
- Penn State Extension - Lesser Celandine (Don't Be Deceived by This Beguiling Springtime Plant) — Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is a spring ephemeral that disappears by late May, with glossy kidney-shaped mostly-smooth-edged leaves and bright yellow star-shaped flowers of 8 or more narrow petals with a darker central ring, spreading by tubers, stem bulblets, and some seed; it is distinguished from marsh marigold (which has finely toothed leaves and 5-9 wider rounded petals and grows as individual plants); hand-digging is not recommended because it is very difficult to get all the tubers and causes excessive soil disturbance, so systemic glyphosate applied late-March through early-May (before end of April to protect natives) is most effective because it translocates to the underground tubers, and all plant parts must be sealed in a bag for burning or trash disposal.