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Creeping Buttercup

Ranunculus repens

Months

Colour

Found in garden lawns, parks and meadows, the Creeping Buttercup’s cheery yellow flowers bring sunshine to our spring landscape.

Also known as Common Buttercups, it’s long rooting runners help it to spread across damp areas of grass, which distinguishes it from other buttercup species. It has yellow flowers and hairy leaves divided into 3 lobes.

Where to find Creeping Buttercups.

Creeping Buttercups are found in a variety of damp habitats such as pastures, roadside verges, lawns, tracks and paths.

How’s it doing?

Creeping Buttercups are widespread and stable throughout the British Isles.

Did you know?

  • Do you like butter? Generations of children have grown up holding buttercups under their chin to see if they do. The origin of the name appears to come from a belief that it gave butter its golden hue.
  • There are many species called buttercup in the UK, but by far the most likely to pop up on your lawn are the Creeping and Bulbous Buttercups. You can tell them apart by looking at the small, green leaf-like bits immediately beneath the petals: Bulbous Buttercup’s curl away from the flower while Creeping Buttercup’s do not. 
Creeping buttercup

Creeping Buttercup, image by Trevor Dines

Other Species

Adder’s Tongue Spearwort

Adder's Tongue Spearwort

Ranunculus ophioglossifolius
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Alexanders

Alexanders

Smyrnium olusatrum
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Amethyst Deceiver
Two fungi growing next to eachother on the forest floor, a bright purple Amethyst Deceiver leans over the top of a creamy coloured Russula sp

Amethyst Deceiver

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