Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

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General Information: Lesser Celandine which is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculus) can be seen between March and May, after May the weed will die back until the following year. The flower is one of the first to show among lawn weeds.

Leaf: The inverted heart shaped fleshy leaves have a glossy surface and are dark green in colour. The leaves can have toothed edges although this is not always the case.

Flower: The yellow flowers can be seen between the months of March and May. The flowers have between 7 -12 petals.

Preferred habitat: Lesser Celandine is a perennial weed that tends to favour moist shaded areas

Control: Ideally it is best to prevent this weed becoming a serious problem as it can be difficult to control with chemicals. Improving the drainage and shade of your lawn will help discourage this weed. Luckily Lesser Celandine is not normally a common problem on UK lawns. If there are only a few plants hand weeding is the best method of removing the weeds from the lawn.

If there is a serious problem a selective weed killer will have to be applied. As the weed establishes earlier in the year than most lawn weeds it will need treating early as well. Aim to apply as soon as the leaves are developed, a second application about 4-6 weeks later will also have to be applied as this is a difficult weed to control. Use a selective herbicide/weed killer that contains at least two ingredients. One of these ingredients should be MCPA. Our weed control section has advice and tips on the application of chemical weed killers.

Recommended selective weed killers for Lesser Celandine.

Verdone Extra (fluroxypyr, clopyralid & MCPA).
Westland Resolva lawn weed killer (MCPA, mecoprop-p & dicamba).
Evergreen Complete (MCPA, mecoprop-p).
Evergreen feed + weed liquid (MCPA, mecoprop-p & dicamba) includes a fertiliser.

Selective weed killers should be applied when weed are growing, this is usually between April & October. When treating Lesser Celandine aim to treat early as possible as this weed dies back in May.

When applying chemicals to lawns always follow the manufacturers application recommendations and the health and safety guidelines for your own safety and the best results.

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