Rooted Ramblings: Lesser Celandine, greater problem

By Jon Secaur, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer

If you don’t know an invasive weed called Lesser Celandine, count your blessings, but keep reading in case you do find it in your yard or garden.

And if you do know this noxious weed, as former President Bill Clinton would say, “I feel your pain.”

What makes Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) such a problem?

• Its good looks hide its aggressive nature. A member of the Buttercup family, it forms lovely low mounds of deep green, heart-shaped leaves in early spring, then tops those with pretty yellow flowers in April.
• It turns pale in May and disappears completely in June, fooling you into thinking that it’s gone, but it’s only gone dormant, hiding and waiting to come back next spring with even more plants in even denser mounds.
• Its matted roots remain, blocking other plants from taking its place. Each spring, it takes over more and more area.
• It’s a marvel of reproduction! It can spread through the air by seeds, but it spreads mostly by underground roots called rhizomes and from the little tubers or corms that form along the roots, each of which can form a whole new plant. Also, little football-shaped bulbils form at the bases of the leaves, and they can detach and spread by rain, wind or foot traffic. I’m amazed at how many places we’ve found it in our gardens and yard.

All of this makes Lesser Celandine a big problem to control. For single clumps in a garden, dig deeply with a narrow shovel, checking to be sure that no little tubers remain to come back to haunt you.

Or you can spray – carefully – with broad-leaf herbicides, containing at least two of the following active ingredients (look on the product label) that have been found effective – MCPA, triclopyr or dicamba – early in the season, when you first see the leaves appear. Avoid drift and use caution with these products near ornamentals, as the potential for movement of pesticide vapors through the air does exist in warmer weather. These products should not be used near delicate, valuable plants or vegetable gardens. For additional information about application rates and use, follow the label directions – the label is the law!

The greatest problem this nasty weed creates is infestation in a yard. If the clumps are isolated, we dig them out, again checking to be sure we have left no tubers behind, then fill the holes with good soil and plant new grass seed.

But if large areas are infested and digging would not be feasible, the only solution is to sacrifice the grass and spray those herbicides over all the celandine in the area, leaving big patches of bare soil. Then next spring, rake the areas well and reseed. We had to do that in major areas in our front yard. As unpleasant, difficult and ugly as that is, the problem will only get worse, and quickly, if Lesser Celandine is left untreated. Like a bad toothache, the problem will not go away on its own!

More tips:

• Dispose of the plants in the trash. Don’t put them in home compost or yard debris. The remnants will spread the plant to new areas.
  
• After working or traveling in an area with Lesser Celandine, clean your boots and tools. Use a wire brush to remove all the plant parts.
  
• You may want to wear disposable gloves when removing the plants.
  
• If you drive into Lesser Celandine, clean your vehicle.
  Removing Lesser Celandine

Want more information? Read also: Lesser Celandine OSU and Don’t be deceived by this springtime plant

Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program.
Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 • OSU PCMGV web • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau