Buttercup

The UK is home to over 30 native and naturalised species and hybrids of Ranunculus (the buttercup genus) and related flowers, but by far the most familiar are three common meadow and lawn varieties.

Explore the most notable buttercup species found in Britain:

The Big Three (Most Common)

• Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris): The tallest of the common species (up to 90cm), with deeply divided, lobed leaves. You'll commonly spot them in damp meadows, pastures, and parklands.

• Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens): This robust plant spreads rapidly across lawns and damp soil via rooting runners. It has hairy, triangular leaves divided into three stalked lobes.

• Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus): A smaller species of shorter, well-drained grasslands. It blooms early in spring, identifiable by its distinctly swollen stem base.

Other Notable Species

• Goldilocks Buttercup (Ranunculus auricomus): A woodland species with deeply lobed, often unusually shaped leaves and flowers that frequently look like petals are missing.

• Celery-leaved Buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus): Thrives in extremely wet, muddy areas and marshes. It features pale, waxy, celery-like foliage and small flowers.

• Corn Buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis): A rare, heavily declining arable weed with small, lemon-yellow flowers and highly distinctive spiky seeds.

• Small-flowered Buttercup (Ranunculus parviflorus): A scarcer plant of dry, often coastal habitats with tiny, inconspicuous flowers.

The 'Spearworts' (Wetland Buttercups)

In addition to traditional buttercups, the UK has several native buttercup species adapted to pond and marsh margins:

• Lesser Spearwort (Ranunculus flammula): Found at the edges of ponds, with narrow, lance-shaped leaves.

• Greater Spearwort (Ranunculus lingua): A much taller wetland plant with large, bright yellow flowers.

• Badgeworth Buttercup (Ranunculus ophioglossifolius): One of Britain's rarest, Schedule 8-protected buttercups, restricted to only a couple of wet, muddy sites in Gloucestershire.

Related Yellow Flowers

Many plants in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) are colloquially called buttercups or are close relatives

• Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna): A very common, early spring woodland plant with 8–12 petals.

• Marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris): A large, bright yellow water-margin plant.