Vertical Tabs
A member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), lesser celandine displays the bright yellow spring-blooming flowers common to many genera in the family. (3)
Leaves
Leaves are dark green, occasionally mottled, highly glossy, and somewhat heart-shaped. Approximately 1 inch long by one inch wide, leaves are held on long stalks and amassed in a low, basal rosette.
Flowers
Glossy yellow flowers have 8-12 narrow petals, and are conspicuous in early spring, when little else is blooming. Approximately 0.4-0.7 inches across, flowers are held on long, glossy stalks above the leaves.
See the differences between lesser celandine and the native marsh marigold here.
Lesser celandine is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe. Spreading rapidly via underground tubers and bulblets, this early emerging spring plant forms dense vegetative mats, outcompeting spring ephemerals and other native plants, drastically altering community composition and reducing biodiversity. (2)
Biological Control
No biological control option is currently available.
Manual or Mechanical Control
Pulling / Digging Up: Hand pulling or digging small infestations is possible but care must be taken to remove all roots, tubers and bulblets. (4)
Mowing: Not applicable
Girdling: Not applicable
Prescribed Fire: No information available
Prescribed Grazing: Not applicable
Soil Tilling: Tilling is not a recommended method of control as Lesser celandine often colonizes fragile, wet soils vulnerable to erosion and easily re-sprouts from scattered or fragmented bulblets and tubers.
Mulching: Not advised
Solarization: Not applicable
Hot Foam Spray: No information available
Chemical Control
The pesticide application rates and usage herein are recommendations based on research and interviews with land managers. When considering the use of pesticides, it is your responsibility to fully understand the laws, regulations and best practices required to apply pesticides in a responsible manner. At times, the pest you seek to treat may not be on a pesticide label, requiring a 2ee exemption from NYSDEC. Always thoroughly read the label of any pesticide and consult the NYSDEC or a licensed pesticide applicator with questions.
Foliar Spray: Apply a 1-2% solution of wetland-safe glyphosate product in late winter to early spring. Some experts recommend spraying prior to ephemeral leaf-out and amphibian emergence to minimize non-target species impacts, however, follow up treatment will likely be necessary in 2-3 weeks, or during next year’s management season. (6)
Cut Stump: Not applicable
Basal Bark: Not applicable
Hack-And-Squirt
Stem Injection: Not applicable
Pre-Emergent Spray: Not applicable
General management overview and recommendation
As with any other invasive infestation, large occurrences of lesser celandine are best managed via a combination of mechanical and chemical means. Small seedlings or outlying plants can be hand pulled but care must be taken to remove all bulblets and roots. Dense patches must be sprayed to attain good control. All managed infestations should be monitored to prevent reinvasion from nearby populations. Any new seedlings or occurrences can be hand pulled or sprayed.
Post treatment monitoring
Controlled populations should be revisited at least 2-3 times a season for at least 2-3 years to ensure exhaustion of the seed bank and that no re-sprouting has occurred.
Disposal Methods
All material must be bagged and disposed of in a landfill.
REFERENCES
- http://www.nyis.info/?action=nycrr_575#Prohibited Wetland Plants
- http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1614/IPSM-D-09-00044.1
- https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/caltha/palustris/
- http://cels.uri.edu/docslink/ceoc/documents/figbuttercup_2010.pdf
- https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RAFI
- https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/adkisg.pdf
