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Greater creeping spearwort

Ranunculus flammula

Also called Lesser Spearwort, Creeping Spearwort, Spearwort, Spearwort Buttercup, Creeping Buttercup, Lesser Buttercup

Greater creeping spearwort
Photo: Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Greater creeping spearwort is a low-growing perennial buttercup that spreads by creeping stems in damp ground, pond edges and wet meadows. It thrives with constant moisture and full sun to light shade.

Family
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Keep the soil constantly moist or shallowly submerged; it will not tolerate drying out.
Soil
Wet, fertile loam or clay; boggy garden soil or shallow pond margins.
Temperature
Hardy to about -20 °C; avoid prolonged heat above 30 °C without moisture.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain protoanemonin, which causes blistering, burning of the mouth and skin irritation if chewed or handled, and digestive upset if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Macaronesia, NW. Africa, Europe to W. Siberia and Türkiye. E. & W. Canada to W.
Climate
temperate

About

Ranunculus flammula, the lesser spearwort, greater creeping spearwort or banewort, is a species of perennial herbaceous plants in the genus Ranunculus (buttercup), growing in damp places throughout the Boreal Kingdom. It flowers June/July. Ranunculus flammula is poisonous.

It is very closely related to R. reptans, which is distinguished by prostrate and more slender stems, narrower leaves and smaller flowers and is sometimes included within R. flammula sensu lato as a variety (R. flammula var. reptans (L.) E. Meyer).

Other Ranunculus plants

Littleleaf buttercup · Aconite-leaf buttercup · Meadow buttercup · White water crowfoot · Asian Buttercup · Brackish Water-crowfoot · St. Anthony's turnip · Ranunculus calandrinioides · California buttercup · Glacier buttercup · Ranunculus gramineus · Ivy buttercup

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ranunculus flammula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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